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762 | Rock star sued by ex-girlfriend
Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars is being sued by his ex-girlfriend for $10 million (£5.4 million), claiming he broke a promise to take care of her.
The woman, Robin Mantooth, said Mars promised her repeatedly that he would provide financial support in the event of the couple breaking up. When they split in December, Mantooth says Mars denied any such agreement. She is asking a Los Angeles court to award her half the musician's property, a monthly allowance and damages. Mantooth added that the pair became lovers in 1990, after which she abandoned her career as a documentary film-maker to move in with the guitarist at his Malibu home.
She is also claiming that Mars, 53, has failed to provide her with any material support since they ceased to be a couple. Motley Crue recently reunited after being apart for a period of five years. They originally formed in the early 1980s and scored six hits in the UK, including Girls Girls Girls in 1987. They are embarking on a world tour later this year which will take in 60 cities across the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. Mars - real name Bob Allen Deal - underwent hip replacement surgery in October. He suffers from a degenerative rheumatic disease which causes ligaments and tendons to attach to the bone.
| Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars is being sued by his ex-girlfriend for $10 million (£5.4 million), claiming he broke a promise to take care of her.The woman, Robin Mantooth, said Mars promised her repeatedly that he would provide financial support in the event of the couple breaking up.She is also claiming that Mars, 53, has failed to provide her with any material support since they ceased to be a couple.When they split in December, Mantooth says Mars denied any such agreement.Mars - real name Bob Allen Deal - underwent hip replacement surgery in October. |
744 | Elvis regains top chart position
Elvis Presley has scored his 19th number one single in the UK charts with the re-release of Jailhouse Rock, 27 years after his death.
Elvis knocked X Factor winner Steve Brookstein down into second place after three weeks in the charts. In at number three was Iron Maiden for the Number Of The Beast and Erasure entered the chart at four with Breathe. Elvis's number one is the 999th in chart history and comes the day after what would have been his 70th birthday. Fans around the world held tribute events for the singer on Saturday, ranging from concerts to memorabilia exhibitions. Meanwhile, a poll carried out by royalty payments group the Performing Right Society found that The Wonder of You is the Elvis song most performed by live bands and tribute acts.
Record company SonyBMG are releasing Elvis's 18 number one singles at the rate of one a week in Britain, complete with original artwork and a collector's box. Hit single One Night will follow next week - with the chance of becoming the 1,000th number one as interest surrounding Elvis's birthday grows. Elsewhere in the singles charts, the Scissor Sisters went straight in at number five with Filthy/Gorgeous. Band Aid 20 slipped to six after seven weeks in the chart with Do They Know It's Christmas. The other two new entries are Dana Rayne with Object of My Desire at seven and Kasabian who are at number eight with Cut Off. Making up the top 10 are Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day, down three places to number nine, and Out of Touch by Uniting Nations, also down three places to 10. In the album charts, the Scissor Sisters went to number one with their self-titled release, knocking Green Day's American Idiot to third place. The Killers' album Hot Fuss moved up three to number two.
| Hit single One Night will follow next week - with the chance of becoming the 1,000th number one as interest surrounding Elvis's birthday grows.Elvis Presley has scored his 19th number one single in the UK charts with the re-release of Jailhouse Rock, 27 years after his death.Elvis's number one is the 999th in chart history and comes the day after what would have been his 70th birthday.In at number three was Iron Maiden for the Number Of The Beast and Erasure entered the chart at four with Breathe.In the album charts, the Scissor Sisters went to number one with their self-titled release, knocking Green Day's American Idiot to third place.Record company SonyBMG are releasing Elvis's 18 number one singles at the rate of one a week in Britain, complete with original artwork and a collector's box. |
1,172 | Donor attacks Blair-Brown 'feud'
The reported feud between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has prompted a Labour donor to say he will almost certainly refuse to give more funds.
Duncan Bannatyne also attacked the government over Iraq and its "poor" response to the Asian tsunami crisis. His broadside came as ex-Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said he hoped Mr Brown would be premier at some point. Mr Bannatyne has previously given Labour £50,000. He made his fortune from care homes and health clubs.
The 52-year-old on Tuesday said was he was reviewing his donations because of Cabinet disunity and international issues. His spokesman said it was highly unlikely he would give Labour more money, although he would remain a supporter and not fund the Conservatives.
Robert Peston's new book has prompted more speculation about the Blair-Brown rift with its claims that the prime minister broke a promise made in 2003 to stand down. Mr Bannatyne said: "Disunity in the Cabinet has a corrosive effect on the country. "Gordon Brown is a great chancellor who has delivered a stable economy, but business wants that to continue and not be blown off course by petty squabbles based on personal ambition." The businessman, whose latest venture is a casino in Newcastle, also voiced concern about the ongoing violence in Iraq.
And he branded the UK government's response to the tsunami as "piecemeal and poor". "The people there need practical help not just pledges of money," he said. "The US has forces helping on the ground - we can do more." British Navy ships have helped the relief effort and the prime minister has said the government could ultimately give hundreds of millions of pounds in aid. Mr Bannatyne is due to host a new television programme and is also appearing on BBC2 business start-up programme Dragon's Den. But his spokesman insisted his attack on Labour was not a publicity stunt.
In a separate development, Robin Cook gave his support to Mr Brown's prime ministerial ambitions but told a lunch for political journalists winning the election had to be Labour's election. But he insisted the recent squabbles between Mr Blair and Mr Brown were not "perceived as a problem by the voters," adding there was no impression of governmental incompetence. Mr Cook argued that more prominence was given to these matters because there was "not an alternative source of opposition to the government". He warned the "Abstentions Party" was the real challenge to Labour - and they would not be motivated by Mr Blair's promise to produce an "unremittingly New Labour" election manifesto. His comments come after Dave Prentis, the leader of Britain's biggest union Unison, told the Daily Record newspaper he wants a date to be set for Mr Blair to be replaced as Labour leader.
| Mr Bannatyne has previously given Labour £50,000.Mr Bannatyne said: "Disunity in the Cabinet has a corrosive effect on the country.He warned the "Abstentions Party" was the real challenge to Labour - and they would not be motivated by Mr Blair's promise to produce an "unremittingly New Labour" election manifesto.But he insisted the recent squabbles between Mr Blair and Mr Brown were not "perceived as a problem by the voters," adding there was no impression of governmental incompetence.Mr Cook argued that more prominence was given to these matters because there was "not an alternative source of opposition to the government".His spokesman said it was highly unlikely he would give Labour more money, although he would remain a supporter and not fund the Conservatives.His broadside came as ex-Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said he hoped Mr Brown would be premier at some point.The reported feud between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has prompted a Labour donor to say he will almost certainly refuse to give more funds.Duncan Bannatyne also attacked the government over Iraq and its "poor" response to the Asian tsunami crisis. |
1,233 | Campaign 'cold calls' questioned
Labour and the Conservatives are still telephoning the millions of people who have signed up to make sure they do not get marketing "cold calls".
The parties say they can stick to the rules by ensuring that their calls are not marketing - for instance by asking about people's voting intentions. The Lib Dems are asking the watchdog overseeing the rules to stop the calls. The information commissioner's office says surveys are allowed but people had to be told if personal data was kept. Telephone call centres are expected to be used as never before by all the three major parties in the run-up to the general election.
But seven million telephone numbers are on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) lists, which ban unsolicited sales and marketing calls. Both schemes are run by the Direct Marketing Association and backed by EU directives on privacy and electronic communications.
The rules on marketing calls apply as much to politicians as to private sector companies. But that does not mean Labour and the Tories are not calling people signed up to the TPS. A Labour Party spokesman told the BBC News website the party avoided those on TPS lists when telephoning people about membership or fundraising. But that did not happen for "voter identification" calls. "When we ask which party they will vote for, that is not marketing and we have very clear legal advice that it is not," he said. "So it is not covered by the Telephone Preference Service."
He said the party always asked people if they would be happy to be contacted again and if they said no, they were not rung again. A Conservative spokeswoman said the party stuck to the rules when it rang TPS subscribers. She said: "We do apply TPS but in line with the law. We would not do things that are not allowed in the law." Assistant information commissioner Phil Jones said it was classed as marketing if political parties telephoned people to encourage them to vote for them. But "classic market research", such as a poll of voter intentions, did not constitute direct marketing, he said. "If a party is calling someone who is registered on TPS and records their voting intention with a view to using this information in the future, this should be clear to the voter concerned," said Mr Jones. "If a party rings a person who is registered on TPS to ask about their voting intention and goes on to encourage that voter to support them, the party may well be in breach of the regulations. "In summary, whether a party calling TPS registered voters to check their voting intentions will breach regulations will depend on the script used and whether the script is followed." Mr Jones said the watchdog received "very few complaints" on the issue.
Earlier, Lib Dem chairman Matthew Taylor wrote to the watchdog saying: "The advice we have received on several previous occasions is that such phone calls are illegal." He says evidence from local Lib Dem parties around the country suggests there are "significant" numbers of such calls. "I hope you can therefore take swift and efficient action to ensure that this ceases," he tells the commissioner. Mr Taylor argues there should be new guidelines so all parties can act in the same way if the watchdog believes the rules allow parties to ring TPS numbers about voting intentions and later urge those people to vote for them.
| Assistant information commissioner Phil Jones said it was classed as marketing if political parties telephoned people to encourage them to vote for them.Mr Taylor argues there should be new guidelines so all parties can act in the same way if the watchdog believes the rules allow parties to ring TPS numbers about voting intentions and later urge those people to vote for them."If a party is calling someone who is registered on TPS and records their voting intention with a view to using this information in the future, this should be clear to the voter concerned," said Mr Jones."When we ask which party they will vote for, that is not marketing and we have very clear legal advice that it is not," he said.A Conservative spokeswoman said the party stuck to the rules when it rang TPS subscribers.He said the party always asked people if they would be happy to be contacted again and if they said no, they were not rung again."If a party rings a person who is registered on TPS to ask about their voting intention and goes on to encourage that voter to support them, the party may well be in breach of the regulations.The parties say they can stick to the rules by ensuring that their calls are not marketing - for instance by asking about people's voting intentions.A Labour Party spokesman told the BBC News website the party avoided those on TPS lists when telephoning people about membership or fundraising.But seven million telephone numbers are on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) lists, which ban unsolicited sales and marketing calls.She said: "We do apply TPS but in line with the law. |
1,220 | Iraq advice claim sparks new row
The Tories say ministers must respond in Parliament to claims that the legal advice used to justify the Iraq war was drawn up at Number 10.
Downing Street has denied the claims, made in a new book about the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith's advice. Lord Goldsmith also denied them, saying he was not "leaned on" in any way. But the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats say they want the publication of the full legal advice given by the Attorney General.
The government has consistently refused to publish Lord Goldsmith's advice on the legality of the war - saying such papers have always been kept confidential.
But a short statement about Lord Goldsmith's position was presented in a written parliamentary answer on 17 March 2003 - just before a crucial Commons vote on the military action. It said it was "plain" Iraq continued to be in material breach of UN resolution 1441. In his new book, Lawless World, Philippe Sands, a QC and international law professor, suggests the parliamentary answer was written in Downing Street. According to Mr Sands, Lord Goldsmith had warned Tony Blair in a document on 7 March 2003 that the use of force against Iraq could be illegal and that it would have been safer to seek a second UN resolution sanctioning military action.
Mr Sands told Newsnight the government had prepared a legal team to be able to defend its case, in case legal action was taken against the UK over the war. On 10 March, military chiefs reportedly asked for an unequivocal statement about the legality of the war to make sure troops could be defended in a court of law. The book, being serialised in the Guardian newspaper, says on 13 March Lord Goldsmith met then Home Office Minister Lord Falconer and Downing Street adviser Baroness Morgan. "After that Downing Street proceeded to set out his [Lord Goldsmith's] view in a parliamentary answer which was then published on 17 March," said Mr Sands.
Tory leader Michael Howard reiterated calls for the publication of the full legal advice given by the Attorney General, warning: "This issue will not go away." "These revelations throw an intensive spotlight on to the cavalier way in which this government operates - even on an issue as important as peace and war. "The government needs to act to restore public confidence and trust." Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell repeated his party's calls for Lord Goldsmith's first piece of legal advice to be made public. "The public interest, which the government claims justifies non-publication of the whole of the advice, can only be served now by the fullest disclosure."
In a statement to Newsnight, Lord Goldsmith said: "In my parliamentary answer on March 17 2003, I explained my genuinely held independent view, that military action was lawful under the existing Security Council resolutions. "It was certainly not a view that I expressed as a result of being leaned on in any way, nor as I have already made clear, was it written by or at Number 10." The prime minister's official spokesman also rejected the claims, saying: "The attorney general made it clear the words and the judgement were his." But ex-foreign secretary Robin Cook says all the advice should now be published. He said the claims suggested Parliament had only received a précis of Lord Goldsmith's second opinion - and that it was actually drafted in No 10. This would be wrong even if Lord Goldsmith had signed the statement, Mr Cook said, because the attorney general's advice should be an "independent legal opinion", not subject to "political negotiation of this kind".
| "After that Downing Street proceeded to set out his [Lord Goldsmith's] view in a parliamentary answer which was then published on 17 March," said Mr Sands.Downing Street has denied the claims, made in a new book about the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith's advice.But a short statement about Lord Goldsmith's position was presented in a written parliamentary answer on 17 March 2003 - just before a crucial Commons vote on the military action.In a statement to Newsnight, Lord Goldsmith said: "In my parliamentary answer on March 17 2003, I explained my genuinely held independent view, that military action was lawful under the existing Security Council resolutions.This would be wrong even if Lord Goldsmith had signed the statement, Mr Cook said, because the attorney general's advice should be an "independent legal opinion", not subject to "political negotiation of this kind".Lord Goldsmith also denied them, saying he was not "leaned on" in any way.The government has consistently refused to publish Lord Goldsmith's advice on the legality of the war - saying such papers have always been kept confidential.The Tories say ministers must respond in Parliament to claims that the legal advice used to justify the Iraq war was drawn up at Number 10.Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell repeated his party's calls for Lord Goldsmith's first piece of legal advice to be made public.But the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats say they want the publication of the full legal advice given by the Attorney General. |
1,746 | Dogged Federer claims Dubai crown
World number one Roger Federer added the Dubai Championship trophy to his long list of successes - but not before he was given a test by Ivan Ljubicic.
Top seed Federer looked to be on course for a easy victory when he thumped the eighth seed 6-1 in the first set. But Ljubicic, who beat Tim Henman in the last eight, dug deep to secure the second set after a tense tiebreak. Swiss star Federer was not about to lose his cool, though, turning on the style to win the deciding set 6-3. The match was a re-run of last week's final at the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam, where Federer triumphed, but not until Ljubicic had stretched him all the way. "I really wanted to get off to a good start this time, and I did, and I could really play with confidence while he still looking for his rhythm," Federer said.
"That took me all the way through to 6-1 3-1 0-30 on his serve and I almost ran away with it. But he came back, and that was a good effort on his side." Ljubicic was at a loss to explain his poor showing in the first set. "I didn't start badly, but then suddenly I felt like my racket was loose and the balls were flying a little bit too much. And with Roger, if you relax for a second it just goes very quick," he said. "After those first three games it was no match at all. I don't know, it was really weird. I was playing really well the whole year, and then suddenly I found myself in trouble just to put the ball in the court." But despite his defeat, the world number 14 was pleased with his overall performance. "I had a chance in the third, and for me it's really positive to twice in two weeks have a chance against Roger to win the match. "It's an absolutely great boost to my confidence that I'm up there and belong with top-class players."
| The match was a re-run of last week's final at the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam, where Federer triumphed, but not until Ljubicic had stretched him all the way.Ljubicic was at a loss to explain his poor showing in the first set."After those first three games it was no match at all.I don't know, it was really weird.World number one Roger Federer added the Dubai Championship trophy to his long list of successes - but not before he was given a test by Ivan Ljubicic.Swiss star Federer was not about to lose his cool, though, turning on the style to win the deciding set 6-3.I was playing really well the whole year, and then suddenly I found myself in trouble just to put the ball in the court." |
1,744 | Parmar ruled out of Davis Cup tie
A knee injury has forced Arvind Parmar out of Great Britain's Davis Cup tie in Israel and left Alex Bogdanovic in line to take the second singles place.
Parmar picked up the injury last week and has failed to recover in time for the Europe/Africa Zone I tie, which begins in Tel Aviv on Friday. Bogdanovic looks set to take the second singles place alongside Greg Rusedski. GB captain Jeremy Bates could use 17-year-old Andrew Murray and David Sherwood in the doubles rubber. Bogdanovic and Murray both pulled out of tournaments last week through injury but are expected to be fit. Jamie Delgado and Lee Childs have been called into the squad in Tel Aviv as designated hitters for team practice but Bates has no plans to call either of them into his squad at present.
The unheralded Sherwood was the surprise inclusion when the squad was announced last week, and Bates said: "David has earned his place in this squad on the merit of his form and results over the last 12 months." The 6ft 4in Sherwood is ranked 264th in the world and the LTA have high hopes for him after Futures tournament wins in Wrexham and Edinburgh.
The Sheffield-born right-hander, aged 24, also reached another final in Plaisir, France, a week after making the semi-final in Mulhouse. Bates is glad to have Rusedski available after Tim Henman's retirement from Davis Cup tennis. "His wealth of experience is invaluable, particularly to the younger players and I know he will lead by example," Bates said. "We are looking forward to the tie. The squad are all in excellent form."
| The unheralded Sherwood was the surprise inclusion when the squad was announced last week, and Bates said: "David has earned his place in this squad on the merit of his form and results over the last 12 months."A knee injury has forced Arvind Parmar out of Great Britain's Davis Cup tie in Israel and left Alex Bogdanovic in line to take the second singles place.Parmar picked up the injury last week and has failed to recover in time for the Europe/Africa Zone I tie, which begins in Tel Aviv on Friday.Bogdanovic and Murray both pulled out of tournaments last week through injury but are expected to be fit.Jamie Delgado and Lee Childs have been called into the squad in Tel Aviv as designated hitters for team practice but Bates has no plans to call either of them into his squad at present.Bogdanovic looks set to take the second singles place alongside Greg Rusedski. |
2,023 | Multi-purpose TV aids India
Two-thirds of the world's population, 4 billion people, live on $2,000 a year or less.
You might think that the last thing on their minds would be getting a television set or a computer. But that's not the case. Many people in the developing world give up one of their daily meals so they can afford to buy a TV. And now, an Indian-born computer engineer thinks he's come up with a way to give them cheap access to the internet. Carnegie Mellon Professor Raj Reddy has spent the bulk of his professional career trying to find ways to make technology accessible to poor people. The first step is to figure out why poor people would want a personal computer and Professor Reddy thinks he has a pretty good idea of why they might. "I come from a village," says Prof Reddy, "I know what the population is like, many of them are illiterate, and many of them have other concerns." "There, nobody will use it for the conventional uses of a PC, word processing and Powerpoint," he said. "So it's clear to me that if people wanted to use PCs in a village - it has to usable by illiterate people and it must be primarily for entertainment, education, telemedicine, and access to expert advice."
Prof Reddy also thinks that tying it into some kind of aid package was the wrong approach. After all, he asked -- what aid group could possibly give expensive computers to 250 million less fortunate Indians, let alone the billions of poor people around the world?
Instead, Prof Reddy decided to think of those 250 million Indians as a potential market. The problem then becomes one of making the product compelling enough. "It must be so compelling that you would give up your third meal in order to have this," Prof Reddy says. "People do this today with television sets. If you go to India, and many other countries, they will first go get a television set before they worry about one more meal. Why? Because personalized entertainment has become very important." This hatched a completely new idea. He calls it a PCtvt - A personal computer, television and telephone all in one that runs on a normal desktop machine. Literate users can surf through the applications with a keyboard and mouse but illiterate users can use what looks like a television remote control.
On the screen, pictures - not words - designate applications like TV, voice mail, and video e-mail. This dependence on graphics, video and audio means that a computer for an illiterate person needs 100 times more power and more memory than one for a PhD. Prassana Rambathla, one of Prof Reddy's graduate students, says that "when you're talking illiterate you're talking audio and video, and that demands exponentially high bandwidth.' "It can't choke at any point in time, and it has to withstand anything no matter what you're pressing." "The major part is making it foolproof, very tough, so that it never breaks," he says. The Carnegie Mellon team says this project is only possible because PCs are now so much cheaper and have built-in audio and video hardware and software. Limited trials of the PCtvt are due to start this month in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Although Andhra Pradesh has a fairly good infrastructure but work has to be done to ensure reliable connections to the net. Prof Reddy has teamed up with Eric Brewer at the University of California at Berkeley. The answer, says Prof Brewer, is wi-fi.
"We're looking at the thing you'll see in Starbuck's or many other hotspots," he says. "We're doing a lot of work on long-distance wireless and how to make the network work better in the presence of intermittency, when the power goes up and down, and the links go up and down, and the computers you're connected to just get turned off for no reason." Prof Reddy says he hopes to lease the PCtvts for about $10 a month, and thinks Indians will rent the units for the television and DVD capabilities. Reddy says he can then introduce the PCtvt's other technologies - such as video mail. For example, a farmer could use the PCtvt's webcam to send a picture of a harmful insect to a local official who could send back a proposed course of action to the farmer. Prof Reddy thinks this kind of communication is the real pay-off. "The underlying problem," he says, "is how you can increase their wealth and reduce their poverty and reduce their illiteracy, and improve their health care.' "And what I'm postulating is that this is the technology that will enable them. If I didn't have it, it would be an uphill battle. Even with the technology it's an uphill battle. But I have a tool. There is hope. I can reach them in ways that have not been possible before."
Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production
| The first step is to figure out why poor people would want a personal computer and Professor Reddy thinks he has a pretty good idea of why they might.Prof Reddy says he hopes to lease the PCtvts for about $10 a month, and thinks Indians will rent the units for the television and DVD capabilities."It must be so compelling that you would give up your third meal in order to have this," Prof Reddy says."I come from a village," says Prof Reddy, "I know what the population is like, many of them are illiterate, and many of them have other concerns."Reddy says he can then introduce the PCtvt's other technologies - such as video mail.Carnegie Mellon Professor Raj Reddy has spent the bulk of his professional career trying to find ways to make technology accessible to poor people.Prof Reddy thinks this kind of communication is the real pay-off.Prof Reddy has teamed up with Eric Brewer at the University of California at Berkeley.Instead, Prof Reddy decided to think of those 250 million Indians as a potential market.Many people in the developing world give up one of their daily meals so they can afford to buy a TV.You might think that the last thing on their minds would be getting a television set or a computer."So it's clear to me that if people wanted to use PCs in a village - it has to usable by illiterate people and it must be primarily for entertainment, education, telemedicine, and access to expert advice."Prof Reddy also thinks that tying it into some kind of aid package was the wrong approach.Prassana Rambathla, one of Prof Reddy's graduate students, says that "when you're talking illiterate you're talking audio and video, and that demands exponentially high bandwidth.'After all, he asked -- what aid group could possibly give expensive computers to 250 million less fortunate Indians, let alone the billions of poor people around the world?If you go to India, and many other countries, they will first go get a television set before they worry about one more meal.This dependence on graphics, video and audio means that a computer for an illiterate person needs 100 times more power and more memory than one for a PhD.The answer, says Prof Brewer, is wi-fi.And now, an Indian-born computer engineer thinks he's come up with a way to give them cheap access to the internet. |
1,345 | Bekele sets sights on world mark
Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele is determined to add the world indoor two mile record at February's Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham.
The 22-year-old will again be chasing a record held by his compatriot and mentor Haile Gebrselassie, who set the mark at the same meeting in 2003. "I am still as hungry to do as much as I can in this sport," said Bekele. "And aiming for the two mile world record in Birmingham is the next of those targets." Gebrselassie's current record stands at eight minutes, 04.69 seconds. And Bekele is no stranger to overhauling world marks at the National Indoor Arena. The Ethiopian broke the world indoor 5,000m record on his debut at the meeting last year. Compatriots Mulugeta Wondimu, Abiyote Abate and Markos Geneti, the world indoor bronze medallist over 3000m, will race against Bekele on 18 February. The meet has already attracted a crop of Olympic talent. Britain's 800m and 1500m champion Kelly Holmes is taking part in the 1000m. Swedish heptathlon gold medallist Carolina Kluft will contest the 60m hurdles. While men's 4x100m relay gold medallists Jason Gardener and Mark Lewis-Francis will go head-to-head in the 60m.
| Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele is determined to add the world indoor two mile record at February's Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham.And Bekele is no stranger to overhauling world marks at the National Indoor Arena.The Ethiopian broke the world indoor 5,000m record on his debut at the meeting last year."And aiming for the two mile world record in Birmingham is the next of those targets."Compatriots Mulugeta Wondimu, Abiyote Abate and Markos Geneti, the world indoor bronze medallist over 3000m, will race against Bekele on 18 February. |
983 | Howard unveils Tory asylum plans
Tory plans to cut immigration to the UK are not racist and will make the asylum system fairer for genuine refugees, Michael Howard has said.
As his party set out detailed asylum reform plans, Mr Howard said they would help smash people smuggling gangs. There would be an annual limit on asylum and all claims would be processed overseas. Some charities say the plans would put refugees' lives at risk if they were turned away once quotas were filled.
Tony Blair said Labour would set out workable plans for tackling immigration abuse in the next few weeks and attacked the Tory plans. "By cutting the number of front-line immigration staff at our borders, they will actually make the problem worse," said Mr Blair. Liberal Democrat chairman Matthew Taylor said there needed to be a quick, fair and firm asylum system. But he said it was "absolutely disgusting" to propose a system which could turn away genuine refugees. The Conservatives say there is little risk of this happening as demand for asylum will be considered when quotas are set.
In a speech in London on Monday, Mr Howard said: "It's not racist, as some people to claim, to talk about controlling immigration far from it." He said that coming from an immigrant family himself he recognised that "firm but fair" immigration controls were essential for good community relations.
- Withdrawing from the 1951 United Nations Convention on refugees, which obliges countries to accept people being persecuted on the basis of need, not numbers
- Introduce laws to allow the immediate removal of asylum seekers whose claims were clearly unfounded because they came from safe countries or had destroyed documents
- Detain asylum seekers without documents so people whose identity was not known were not able to move freely around the UK - a worry for "national security"
- Stop considering asylum applications inside the UK and instead take people from United Nations refugee agency camps. Anyone applying for asylum would be taken to new centres close to their countries of origin.
The Tories also want quotas for those seeking work permits through an Australian-style points system and those wanting to join families in the UK.
Mr Howard said nearly 160,000 people were settling in the UK every year - the size of a city like Peterborough. The plans would help achieve a "substantial reduction" in immigration, he said, although he could not predict a figure. He said that only two out of 10 asylum seekers had their claims accepted under the current "unfair and inhumane" system.
"We need to break the link between arriving in Britain and claiming asylum," Mr Howard said. "By breaking that link we can smash the criminal gangs at the heart of the trade in people smuggling."
But the UN refugees agency is worried the policy sends the wrong message to poorer countries which receive the bulk of refugees. And a spokesman for European Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini said the plans would contravene EU asylum policy, which meant the UK could not simply refuse to hear an asylum case. Refugee Council Chief Executive Maeve Sherlock called the plans "dangerous, ill thought-out and hugely irresponsible". Lives could be put at risk if refugees were turned away once the quotas were filled, she warned. Commission for Racial Equality chairman Trevor Phillips said asylum applications were down 40% and economic migration down about 10%.
He did not think Mr Howard intended to centre the debate about race. But he warned that some campaigners could use his words to hint the policy was about keeping out people of a different colour or culture. Mr Howard called that suggestion "disgraceful".
| As his party set out detailed asylum reform plans, Mr Howard said they would help smash people smuggling gangs.Tory plans to cut immigration to the UK are not racist and will make the asylum system fairer for genuine refugees, Michael Howard has said."We need to break the link between arriving in Britain and claiming asylum," Mr Howard said.And a spokesman for European Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini said the plans would contravene EU asylum policy, which meant the UK could not simply refuse to hear an asylum case.In a speech in London on Monday, Mr Howard said: "It's not racist, as some people to claim, to talk about controlling immigration far from it."The plans would help achieve a "substantial reduction" in immigration, he said, although he could not predict a figure.Mr Howard said nearly 160,000 people were settling in the UK every year - the size of a city like Peterborough.He said that only two out of 10 asylum seekers had their claims accepted under the current "unfair and inhumane" system.Liberal Democrat chairman Matthew Taylor said there needed to be a quick, fair and firm asylum system.But he said it was "absolutely disgusting" to propose a system which could turn away genuine refugees.- Withdrawing from the 1951 United Nations Convention on refugees, which obliges countries to accept people being persecuted on the basis of need, not numbers - Introduce laws to allow the immediate removal of asylum seekers whose claims were clearly unfounded because they came from safe countries or had destroyed documents - Detain asylum seekers without documents so people whose identity was not known were not able to move freely around the UK - a worry for "national security" - Stop considering asylum applications inside the UK and instead take people from United Nations refugee agency camps. |
1,698 | Lions blow to World Cup stars
British and Irish Lions coach Clive Woodward says he is unlikely to select any players not involved in next year's RBS Six Nations Championship.
World Cup winners Lawrence Dallaglio, Neil Back and Martin Johnson had all been thought to be in the frame for next summer's tour to New Zealand. "I don't think you can ever say never," said Woodward. "But I would have to have a compulsive reason to pick any player who is not available to international rugby." Dallaglio, Back and Johnson have all retired from international rugby over the last 12 months but continue to star for their club sides. But Woodward added: "The key thing that I want to stress is that I intend to use the Six Nations and the players who are available to international rugby as the key benchmark. "My job, along with all the other senior representatives, is to make sure that we pick the strongest possible team. "If you are not playing international rugby then it's still a step up to Test rugby. It's definitely a disadvantage.
"I think it's absolutely critical and with the history of the Lions we have got to take players playing for the four countries." Woodward also revealed that the race for the captaincy was still wide open. "It is an open book," he said. "There are some outstanding candidates from all four countries." And following the All Blacks' impressive displays in Europe in recent weeks, including a 45-6 humiliation of France, Woodward believes the three-test series in New Zealand will provide the ultimate rugby challenge. "Their performance in particular against France was simply awesome," said the Lions coach. "Certain things have been suggested about the potency of their front five, but they're a very powerful unit." With his customary thoroughness, Woodward revealed he had taken soundings from Australia coach Eddie Jones and Jake White of South Africa following their tour matches in Britain and Ireland.
As a result, Woodward stressed his Lions group might not be dominated by players from England and Ireland and held out hope for the struggling Scots. "Scotland's recent results have not been that impressive but there have been some excellent individual performances. "Eddie in particular told me how tough they had made it for Australia and I will take on board their opinions." And Scotland forward Simon Taylor looks certain to get the call, provided he recovers from knee and tendon problems. "I took lessons from 2001 in that they did make a mistake in taking Lawrence Dallaglio when he wasn't fit and went on the trip. "Every player has to be looked at on their own merits and Simon Taylor is an outstanding player and I have no doubts that if he gets back to full fitness he will be on the trip. "I am told he should be back playing by March and he has plenty of time to prove his fitness for the Lions - and there are other players like Richard Hill in the same boat."
| But Woodward added: "The key thing that I want to stress is that I intend to use the Six Nations and the players who are available to international rugby as the key benchmark."But I would have to have a compulsive reason to pick any player who is not available to international rugby.""Every player has to be looked at on their own merits and Simon Taylor is an outstanding player and I have no doubts that if he gets back to full fitness he will be on the trip."I think it's absolutely critical and with the history of the Lions we have got to take players playing for the four countries."British and Irish Lions coach Clive Woodward says he is unlikely to select any players not involved in next year's RBS Six Nations Championship.As a result, Woodward stressed his Lions group might not be dominated by players from England and Ireland and held out hope for the struggling Scots."I am told he should be back playing by March and he has plenty of time to prove his fitness for the Lions - and there are other players like Richard Hill in the same boat.""If you are not playing international rugby then it's still a step up to Test rugby.And following the All Blacks' impressive displays in Europe in recent weeks, including a 45-6 humiliation of France, Woodward believes the three-test series in New Zealand will provide the ultimate rugby challenge.Dallaglio, Back and Johnson have all retired from international rugby over the last 12 months but continue to star for their club sides. |
1,049 | Clarke to unveil immigration plan
New controls on economic migrants and tighter border patrols will be part of government plans unveiled on Monday.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke wants to introduce a points system for economic migrants and increase deportations of failed asylum seekers. Tony Blair has said people are right to be concerned about abuses of the system but there is no "magic bullet". The Tories say Labour is acting too late while the Lib Dems say the plans may not produce an efficient system.
The government's new five-year plan is designed to show how Labour would reform immigration and asylum controls if it wins the election, expected to be held in May. Ministers deny they have been spurred into action by Tory campaigning or because the prime minister is worried too little has been done.
Instead, they say the plans are part of an "evolving" process aimed at winning public confidence. Mr Clarke is expected to announce an end to the automatic right to settle for immigrants' families, and the introduction of fingerprinting for all visa applicants. The prime minister on Sunday said immigration would be "toughened up" to ensure only those immigrants with skills the UK really needs will be granted work permits. But he rejected the Tories' call for a quota on economic migrants, saying no "arbitrary figure" could reflect the UK's needs.
Mr Blair told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: "We should cut the number or increase it depending on the country's needs... "The public are worried about this, they are worried rightly, because there are abuses of the immigration and asylum system." But he defended the UK's current regime, saying all systems around the world were subject to abuse. Tory proposals to cap the number of asylum seekers and process all claims abroad would not work, argued Mr Blair.
He said: "We will not be... pretending there is some simple easy way of processing Britain's asylum seekers in some other country, because no such other country exists." Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis said the government had failed to remove 250,000 failed asylum seekers from the UK and limits on economic migrants had been a "shambles". "What we are seeing today is a rather panicky response from the government after eight years of failure," he said. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said Labour was right to reject the Tories' idea of quotas on asylum. But he said it was yet to be seen if Mr Clarke could deliver "a fair and efficient asylum system".
| But he said it was yet to be seen if Mr Clarke could deliver "a fair and efficient asylum system".Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis said the government had failed to remove 250,000 failed asylum seekers from the UK and limits on economic migrants had been a "shambles".Home Secretary Charles Clarke wants to introduce a points system for economic migrants and increase deportations of failed asylum seekers.Mr Blair told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: "We should cut the number or increase it depending on the country's needs... "The public are worried about this, they are worried rightly, because there are abuses of the immigration and asylum system."Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said Labour was right to reject the Tories' idea of quotas on asylum.Tony Blair has said people are right to be concerned about abuses of the system but there is no "magic bullet".Tory proposals to cap the number of asylum seekers and process all claims abroad would not work, argued Mr Blair.The government's new five-year plan is designed to show how Labour would reform immigration and asylum controls if it wins the election, expected to be held in May. |
2,074 | Microsoft sets sights on spyware
Windows users could soon be paying Microsoft to keep PCs free of spyware.
Following the takeover of anti-spyware firm Giant, Microsoft said it would soon release a toolkit that strips machines of the irritating programs. Although initially free, Microsoft has not ruled out charging people who want to keep this toolkit up to date. Surveys show that almost every Windows PC is infested with spyware programs that do everything from bombard users with adverts to steal login data. Microsoft said that a beta version of the toolkit to clean up Windows machines should be available within 30 days.
Designed for PCs running Windows 2000 and XP, the utility will clean out spyware programs, constantly monitor what happens on a PC and will be regularly updated to catch the latest variants. Before now many of Microsoft's other security boosting programs, such as the firewall in Windows XP, have been given away free. But Mike Nash, vice president in Microsoft's security business unit, said it was still working out pricing and licensing issues. Charging for future versions has not been discounted, he said. "We'll come up with a plan and roll that out," he said. The plan could turn out to be a lucrative one for Microsoft. A recent survey by Earthlink and Webroot found that 90% of PCs are infested with the surreptitious software and that, on average, each one is harbouring 28 separate spyware programs. Currently users wanting protection from spyware have turned to free programs such as Spybot and Ad-Aware. Spyware comes in many forms and at its most benign exploits lazy browsing habits to install itself and subject users to unwanted adverts. Other forms hijack net browser settings to force people to view pages they would otherwise never visit. At its most malign, spyware watches everything that people do with their PC and steals login information and other personal data. Microsoft's announcement about spyware comes after it bought small New York software firm Giant Company Software. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
| Windows users could soon be paying Microsoft to keep PCs free of spyware.Microsoft said that a beta version of the toolkit to clean up Windows machines should be available within 30 days.Surveys show that almost every Windows PC is infested with spyware programs that do everything from bombard users with adverts to steal login data.Following the takeover of anti-spyware firm Giant, Microsoft said it would soon release a toolkit that strips machines of the irritating programs.Although initially free, Microsoft has not ruled out charging people who want to keep this toolkit up to date.Designed for PCs running Windows 2000 and XP, the utility will clean out spyware programs, constantly monitor what happens on a PC and will be regularly updated to catch the latest variants.Before now many of Microsoft's other security boosting programs, such as the firewall in Windows XP, have been given away free.At its most malign, spyware watches everything that people do with their PC and steals login information and other personal data. |
680 | EastEnders 'is set for US remake'
Plans to create a US soap based on the BBC's EastEnders have reportedly been drawn up by the Fox TV network.
EastEnders' head writer Tony Jordan and music mogul Simon Fuller are involved in the project, according to reports in the Hollywood Reporter trade newspaper. It said scripts have been commissioned for a series about a community of working class people in of Chicago. The original EastEnders was pulled from BBC America last year after it proved a failure in the ratings. US versions of other British hits have proved less successful across the Atlantic.
BBC comedy Coupling was remade with a US cast, but lost its primetime slot on the NBC network due to disappointing ratings. At home, EastEnders has been facing its own ratings battle, recently losing out to rival ITV soap Emmer dale. Primetime soaps on US television have made a recent comeback, following the success of ABC serial Desperate Housewives. The series takes a "darkly comedic" look at the goings-on of a group of characters living in the suburbs.
| Plans to create a US soap based on the BBC's EastEnders have reportedly been drawn up by the Fox TV network.BBC comedy Coupling was remade with a US cast, but lost its primetime slot on the NBC network due to disappointing ratings.The original EastEnders was pulled from BBC America last year after it proved a failure in the ratings.It said scripts have been commissioned for a series about a community of working class people in of Chicago. |
151 | Bank voted 8-1 for no rate change
The decision to keep interest rates on hold at 4.75% earlier this month was passed 8-1 by the Bank of England's rate-setting body, minutes have shown.
One member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) - Paul Tucker - voted to raise rates to 5%. The news surprised some analysts who had expected the latest minutes to show another unanimous decision. Worries over growth rates and consumer spending were behind the decision to freeze rates, the minutes showed. The Bank's latest inflation report, released last week, had noted that the main reason inflation might fall was weaker consumer spending.
However, MPC member Paul Tucker voted for a quarter point rise in interest rates to 5%. He argued that economic growth was picking up, and that the equity, credit and housing markets had been stronger than expected.
The Bank's minutes said that risks to the inflation forecast were "sufficiently to the downside" to keep rates on hold at its latest meeting. However, the minutes added: "Some members noted that an increase might be warranted in due course if the economy evolved in line with the central projection". Ross Walker, UK economist at Royal Bank of Scotland, said he was surprised that a dissenting vote had been made so soon. He said the minutes appeared to be "trying to get the market to focus on the possibility of a rise in rates". "If the economy pans out as they expect then they are probably going to have to hike rates." However, he added, any rate increase is not likely to happen until later this year, with MPC members likely to look for a more sustainable pick up in consumer spending before acting.
| Worries over growth rates and consumer spending were behind the decision to freeze rates, the minutes showed.The Bank's minutes said that risks to the inflation forecast were "sufficiently to the downside" to keep rates on hold at its latest meeting.The decision to keep interest rates on hold at 4.75% earlier this month was passed 8-1 by the Bank of England's rate-setting body, minutes have shown.However, MPC member Paul Tucker voted for a quarter point rise in interest rates to 5%.One member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) - Paul Tucker - voted to raise rates to 5%.However, he added, any rate increase is not likely to happen until later this year, with MPC members likely to look for a more sustainable pick up in consumer spending before acting. |
1,693 | Ireland 21-19 Argentina
An injury-time dropped goal by Ronan O'Gara stole victory for Ireland from underneath the noses of Argentina at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.
O'Gara kicked all of Ireland's points, with two dropped goals and five penalties, to give the home side a 100% record in their autumn internationals. An impressive Argentina appeared in control until the dying seconds. The Pumas shocked the Irish early on with a try from Federico Aramburu, and Felipe Contepomi kicked 14 points. The well-drilled and sharper Pumas out-played and out-thought Ireland in the early stages. Indiscipline allowed Argentina's Leinster fly-half Contepomi to open the scoring in the third minute with a straightforward penalty. He was on the mark again two minutes later when Argentina shocked a ragged Ireland with the first try of the game. Ireland turned the ball over and Manuel Contepomi broke through an unstructured defence before feeding his midfield partner Aramburu to sprint in under the posts. O'Gara finally got Ireland on the board with a dropped goal in the ninth minute only for Contepomi to rifle over his second penalty two minutes later. Playing into a strong wind and rain, Ireland continued to come second best in tight situations, and turnovers began to mount up against a rugged defence. O'Gara managed to land his second penalty in the 36th minute, but once again Contepomi replied in kind four minutes into first-half injury time. The second-half started as the first had ended. O'Gara rifled over another penalty in the 45th minute, but Contepomi matched it three minutes later. The upper-body strength of the Pumas never allowed Ireland to take control up front, while the three-quarters had no space to manoeuvre. Ireland had to rely on O'Gara's boot to keep in touch rather than any contrived running plays. The Munsterman landed two more penalties - one of them from 48 metres - to bring his team to within four points with 13 minutes on the clock remaining. And Ireland's chance came when Argentina's number eight Gonzalo Longo was yellow carded with six minutes to go for an offence in the line-out. O'Gara made no mistake as he rifled over his fifth penalty to set up a tense final few minutes. But Ireland showed great composure to get themselves into a position to allow O'Gara to thump over a massive drop goal to complete a tremendous, if fortuitous, comeback.
| O'Gara finally got Ireland on the board with a dropped goal in the ninth minute only for Contepomi to rifle over his second penalty two minutes later.O'Gara rifled over another penalty in the 45th minute, but Contepomi matched it three minutes later.He was on the mark again two minutes later when Argentina shocked a ragged Ireland with the first try of the game.O'Gara managed to land his second penalty in the 36th minute, but once again Contepomi replied in kind four minutes into first-half injury time.An injury-time dropped goal by Ronan O'Gara stole victory for Ireland from underneath the noses of Argentina at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.Indiscipline allowed Argentina's Leinster fly-half Contepomi to open the scoring in the third minute with a straightforward penalty.The Munsterman landed two more penalties - one of them from 48 metres - to bring his team to within four points with 13 minutes on the clock remaining.But Ireland showed great composure to get themselves into a position to allow O'Gara to thump over a massive drop goal to complete a tremendous, if fortuitous, comeback. |
1,344 | Sprinter Walker quits athletics
Former European 200m champion Dougie Walker is to retire from athletics after a series of six operations left him struggling for fitness.
Walker had hoped to compete in the New Year Sprint which is staged at Musselburgh Racecourse near Edinburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday. The 31-year-old Scot was suspended for two years in 1998 after testing positive for nandrolone. "I had intended to race but I'm running like a goon," said Walker. He told the Herald newspaper: "I'm not in great shape, after missing about a month of training. "I missed a big chunk of speed work over about three weeks, and then another week working in America. "If I'd had a half-decent mark it might have motivated me more, but I won't be racing. "I still enjoy training, but feel it's time to move on, and concentrate on a career."
| "I had intended to race but I'm running like a goon," said Walker.Walker had hoped to compete in the New Year Sprint which is staged at Musselburgh Racecourse near Edinburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday.He told the Herald newspaper: "I'm not in great shape, after missing about a month of training.Former European 200m champion Dougie Walker is to retire from athletics after a series of six operations left him struggling for fitness. |
663 | OutKast win at MTV Europe Awards
US hip-hop duo OutKast have capped a year of award glory with three prizes at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rome.
They won best group, best video and best song for hit Hey Ya! after getting five nominations. R&B singer Usher won best male and best album for Confessions, while UK rock band Muse were named best alternative act and best British artists. OutKast will add their awards to the four they won at the US MTV Awards in August and three Grammys in February. Not only was Hey Ya! one of the biggest global hits of last year, but OutKast have been widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting and innovative acts in music. Their double CD album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which saw Andre 3000 and Big Boi each produce one disc, was hailed as the album of 2003 by many critics.
Andre 3000 thanked fans "for supporting OutKast throughout the years". "We really appreciate it," he said. "I hope you don't get tired of us, but we only do what we do." Also competing for best group had been the Beastie Boys, the Black Eyed Peas, D12 and Maroon 5. And Anastacia, Britney Spears, Maroon 5 and Ludacris had been on the shortlist for best song.
OutKast did lose out in the contest for best album - which was won by Usher, another award favourite. Usher, who performed a duet with Alicia Keys, also beat off competition from Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Nelly and Robbie Williams to take the best male crown. He had four nominations going into the ceremony, with seven artists nominated in three categories.
Eminem's group, D12, were surprise winners in the best hip-hop category, beating the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Nelly. Eminem told the crowd: "D12 finally won an award, thank you very much." The rapper opened the show with a performance of his songs Like Toy Soldiers and Just Lose It, for which he was joined on stage by a crowd of children. The Black Eyed Peas - who had a global hit with Where is the Love? - picked up the prize for best pop act, beating Anastacia, Avril Lavigne, Robbie Williams and Britney Spears. Spears was named best female, sending a message of thanks on video saying the award "means so much to me". Alicia Keys, Anastasia, Avril Lavigne and Beyonce Knowles had featured alongside her in that contest.
Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington described their prize for best rock band as "quite an honour" while Muse said their win for best alternative act was "a real surprise for us". Muse were also named best UK and Ireland act, ahead of Franz Ferdinand, Natasha Bedingfield, Jamelia and The Streets. Referring to the fact that winners of 11 of the 12 main awards were from the US, Muse singer Matt Bellamy said: "There needs to be more European bands." The 11th annual awards were hosted by hip-hop artist Xzibit and watched by 6,000 people at the Tor Di Valle arena, plus millions more on TV around the world. The ceremony featured performances from the Beastie Boys, who entered the stage on bicycles and skateboards, No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani being lowered from a giant clock and Nelly doing a duet with Pharrell Williams. MTV also organised a huge open-air concert featuring Anastacia and The Cure outside the Italian capital's ancient Colosseum, with some estimates putting the attendance there at 200,000. Last year's big winner at the MTV Europe Awards, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, was Justin Timberlake, who walked away with three trophies.
| OutKast did lose out in the contest for best album - which was won by Usher, another award favourite.They won best group, best video and best song for hit Hey Ya!R&B singer Usher won best male and best album for Confessions, while UK rock band Muse were named best alternative act and best British artists.Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington described their prize for best rock band as "quite an honour" while Muse said their win for best alternative act was "a real surprise for us".Spears was named best female, sending a message of thanks on video saying the award "means so much to me".US hip-hop duo OutKast have capped a year of award glory with three prizes at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rome.Also competing for best group had been the Beastie Boys, the Black Eyed Peas, D12 and Maroon 5.- picked up the prize for best pop act, beating Anastacia, Avril Lavigne, Robbie Williams and Britney Spears.OutKast will add their awards to the four they won at the US MTV Awards in August and three Grammys in February.Eminem's group, D12, were surprise winners in the best hip-hop category, beating the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Nelly.And Anastacia, Britney Spears, Maroon 5 and Ludacris had been on the shortlist for best song.Usher, who performed a duet with Alicia Keys, also beat off competition from Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Nelly and Robbie Williams to take the best male crown. |
1,539 | Wolves appoint Hoddle as manager
Glenn Hoddle will be unveiled as the new Wolves manager on Tuesday.
The club have confirmed that the former England coach will be unveiled as the successor to Dave Jones at a news conference at Molineux at 1100 GMT. Hoddle has been linked with a return to former club Southampton but Wolves have won the race for his services. He has been out of the game since being sacked at Spurs in September 2003 and worked alongside Wolves caretaker boss Stuart Gray at Southampton. Hoddle began his managerial career as player-boss with Swindon before moving on to Chelsea and then taking up the England job.
His spell in charge of the national side came to an end after the 1998 World Cup when he made controversial remarks about the disabled in a newspaper interview. The 47-year-old later returned to management with Southampton, where he again succeeded Jones - as he has now done at Wolves. He engineered an upturn in Saints' fortunes before being lured to White Hart Lane by Tottenham - the club where he made his name as a player. That relationship turned sour at the start of the last campaign and he left the London club early last season. Since then he has applied unsuccessfully for the post of France manager and had also been linked with a return to Southampton. Wolves are currently 17th in the Championship and have a home game against Millwall on Tuesday.
| Hoddle has been linked with a return to former club Southampton but Wolves have won the race for his services.Glenn Hoddle will be unveiled as the new Wolves manager on Tuesday.The 47-year-old later returned to management with Southampton, where he again succeeded Jones - as he has now done at Wolves.He has been out of the game since being sacked at Spurs in September 2003 and worked alongside Wolves caretaker boss Stuart Gray at Southampton.Since then he has applied unsuccessfully for the post of France manager and had also been linked with a return to Southampton. |
1,956 | US duo in first spam conviction
A brother and sister in the US have been convicted of sending hundreds of thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages to AOL subscribers.
It is the first criminal prosecution of internet spam distributors. Jurors in Virginia recommended that the man, Jeremy Jaynes, serve nine years in prison and that his sister, Jessica DeGroot, be fined $7,500. They were convicted under a state law that bars the sending of bulk e-mails using fake addresses.
They will be formally sentenced next year. A third defendant, Richard Rutkowski, was acquitted. Prosecutors said Jaynes was "a snake oil salesman in a new format", using the internet to peddle useless wares, news agency Associated Press reported. A "Fed-Ex refund processor" was supposed to allow people to earn $75 an hour working from home. Another item on sale was an "internet history eraser". His sister helped him process credit card payments. Jaynes amassed a fortune of $24m from his sales, prosecutors said. "He's been successful ripping people off all these years," AP quoted prosecutor Russell McGuire as saying. Jaynes was also found guilty of breaking a state law which prohibits the sending of more than 100,000 e-mails in 30 days, Virginia State Attorney General Jerry Kilgore reportedly said. Prosecutors had asked for 15 years in jail for Jaynes, and a jail term for his sister. But Jaynes' lawyer David Oblon called the nine-year recommended term "outrageous" and said his client believed he was innocent. He pointed out that all three of the accused lived in North Carolina and were unaware of the Virginia state law. Spam messages are estimated to account for at least 60% of all e-mails sent.
| Jaynes was also found guilty of breaking a state law which prohibits the sending of more than 100,000 e-mails in 30 days, Virginia State Attorney General Jerry Kilgore reportedly said.Prosecutors said Jaynes was "a snake oil salesman in a new format", using the internet to peddle useless wares, news agency Associated Press reported.Prosecutors had asked for 15 years in jail for Jaynes, and a jail term for his sister.But Jaynes' lawyer David Oblon called the nine-year recommended term "outrageous" and said his client believed he was innocent.Jurors in Virginia recommended that the man, Jeremy Jaynes, serve nine years in prison and that his sister, Jessica DeGroot, be fined $7,500.They were convicted under a state law that bars the sending of bulk e-mails using fake addresses.Jaynes amassed a fortune of $24m from his sales, prosecutors said. |
1,499 | Stuart joins Norwich from Addicks
Norwich have signed Charlton midfielder Graham Stuart until the end of the season for an undisclosed fee.
"It was a very easy decision to make," the 34-year-old told Norwich's website. "The attraction for me was to continue to play in the Premiership." Canaries boss Nigel Worthington added: "I'm delighted that Graham will be joining us until the end of the season. "He's gives us a wealth of experience. Hopefully, he can be part of keeping us in the Premier League." Stuart has extensive top-flight experience with Everton, Chelsea and Charlton and can play across the midfield positions. He joins Norwich with the Norfolk club second-from-bottom in the Premiership, but Stuart is confident that the Carrow Road outfit have a bright future. "I've been very impressed with the facilities here. It's obviously a very well run football club with excellent facilities and I've always enjoyed playing at Carrow Road," he added. "It's a nice compact ground with a good atmosphere and hopefully I can help give the fans something else to cheer."
Stuart, a former England Under-21 international, made 110 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 18 goals, before joining Everton. He won the FA Cup with the Toffees in 1995 and remains a hero at Goodison Park after his 81st-minute winner against Wimbledon saved Everton from relegation in 1994. Stuart spent just over four years at Goodison Park, making 125 senior appearances and scoring 25 goals, before signing for Sheffield United - where he scored 12 goals in 68 appearances. After signing for Charlton he made 164 appearances, scoring 23 times, but recently he has been battling a back problem and had not played for the Londoners for three months before heading to Norwich.
| Stuart has extensive top-flight experience with Everton, Chelsea and Charlton and can play across the midfield positions.Stuart, a former England Under-21 international, made 110 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 18 goals, before joining Everton.Norwich have signed Charlton midfielder Graham Stuart until the end of the season for an undisclosed fee.He joins Norwich with the Norfolk club second-from-bottom in the Premiership, but Stuart is confident that the Carrow Road outfit have a bright future.Stuart spent just over four years at Goodison Park, making 125 senior appearances and scoring 25 goals, before signing for Sheffield United - where he scored 12 goals in 68 appearances.Canaries boss Nigel Worthington added: "I'm delighted that Graham will be joining us until the end of the season. |
1,243 | Tories outlining policing plans
Local communities would be asked to go to the polls to elect their own area police commissioner, under plans unveiled by the Conservatives.
Party leader Michael Howard said the new role would replace "inconspicuous" police authorities. He said the new office would not supersede the job of a chief constable. The Lib Dems said the plan could let extreme groups run policing, while Labour criticised "extravagant" Tory promises on policing.
Responding to the plans, the chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank and file officers, said it was essential operational independence was retained.
Jan Berry said: "It is a service, not a political football to be kicked around every time an election approaches. "These plans could result in those with extreme political views dictating what actually happens on the ground," she warned. Outlining his crime manifesto, Mr Howard said elected police commissioners would be more accountable than police authorities which are made up of local councillors and magistrates. "The commissioner will have the powers which existing police authorities have," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "The trouble is, and it's no reflection on the people who are on the police authority - they are good people - but hardly anyone knows who they are." Mr Howard said the authorities were not "providing the local accountability that we want to see" and that elected police commissioners would be more visible.
Critics fear the move could hand control of the police to single-issue campaigners who would ignore the needs of the wider community. Lord Harris, who sits on the executive of Association of Police Authorities, said the plans seemed to suggest chief constables should be told what to do by a single politician. "That is overturning nearly 200 years of the way in which we have organised policing in this country to avoid the politicisation of policing decisions," he said.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said the plan was dangerous and "could create conflict between chief constables and elected officials". Mr Oaten said local people had too little control over policing but a far better solution would be for elected councillors to draw up a "minimum policing guarantee" with their chief constables. A Labour Party spokesman criticised Michael Howard's record, saying police numbers had fallen by 1,132 when he was home secretary. He said: "Today the Tories are making more extravagant promises on the police without making clear how they would pay for them, other than through fantasy savings to the asylum system." The Tories insists the commissioner role would not be like that of an American sheriff. Other Tory law and order plans include building more prisons and making criminals serve full jail sentences.
| Outlining his crime manifesto, Mr Howard said elected police commissioners would be more accountable than police authorities which are made up of local councillors and magistrates.Mr Howard said the authorities were not "providing the local accountability that we want to see" and that elected police commissioners would be more visible.Party leader Michael Howard said the new role would replace "inconspicuous" police authorities.Mr Oaten said local people had too little control over policing but a far better solution would be for elected councillors to draw up a "minimum policing guarantee" with their chief constables.Local communities would be asked to go to the polls to elect their own area police commissioner, under plans unveiled by the Conservatives.He said: "Today the Tories are making more extravagant promises on the police without making clear how they would pay for them, other than through fantasy savings to the asylum system."Lord Harris, who sits on the executive of Association of Police Authorities, said the plans seemed to suggest chief constables should be told what to do by a single politician.He said the new office would not supersede the job of a chief constable. |
229 | Shares rise on new Man Utd offer
Shares in Manchester United closed up 4.75% on Monday following a new offer from US tycoon Malcolm Glazer.
The board of the football club is expected to meet early this week to discuss the latest proposal, which values the club at £800m ($1.5bn). Manchester United revealed on Sunday that it had received a detailed proposal from Mr Glazer, which looks set to receive more serious scrutiny. The club has previously rejected Mr Glazer's approaches out of hand. But a senior source at the club told the BBC: "This time it's different." Supporters' group Shareholders United, however, urged the club to reject the new deal.
A spokesman for the Shareholders United said: "I can't see any difference (compared to Mr Glazer's previous proposals) other than £200m less debt. "He isn't bringing any money into the club; he'll use our money to buy it."
Mr Glazer's latest move is being led by Mr Glazer's two sons, Avi and Joel, according to the Financial Times. A proposal was received by David Gill, United's chief executive, at the end of last week, pitched at about 300p a share. David Cummings, head of UK equities for Standard Life Investments, said he believed a "well funded" 300p a share bid would be enough for Mr Glazer to take control of the club.
"I do not think there is anything that Manchester United fans can do about it," he told the BBC. "They can complain about it but it is curtains for them. They may not want him but they are going to get him." The US tycoon, who has been wooing the club for the last 12 months, has approached the United board with "detailed proposals", it has confirmed.
Mr Glazer, who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, hopes this will lead to a formal bid being accepted. He is believed to have increased the amount of equity in the new proposal, though it is not clear by how much. For his proposal to succeed, he needs the support of United's largest shareholders, the Irish horseracing tycoons JP McManus and John Magnier. They own 29% of United through their Cubic Expression investment vehicle. Mr Glazer and his family hold a stake of 28.1%. But it is not yet known whether Mr McManus and Mr Magnier would support a Glazer bid. NM Rothschild, the investment bank, is advising Mr Glazer, according to the Financial Times. His previous adviser, JPMorgan, quit last year when Mr Glazer went ahead and voted against the appointment of three United directors to the board, against its advice. But the FT said it thought JP Morgan may still have had some role in financing Mr Glazer's latest financial proposal.
| Manchester United revealed on Sunday that it had received a detailed proposal from Mr Glazer, which looks set to receive more serious scrutiny.But it is not yet known whether Mr McManus and Mr Magnier would support a Glazer bid.The club has previously rejected Mr Glazer's approaches out of hand.But the FT said it thought JP Morgan may still have had some role in financing Mr Glazer's latest financial proposal.David Cummings, head of UK equities for Standard Life Investments, said he believed a "well funded" 300p a share bid would be enough for Mr Glazer to take control of the club.Mr Glazer's latest move is being led by Mr Glazer's two sons, Avi and Joel, according to the Financial Times.Mr Glazer and his family hold a stake of 28.1%.A spokesman for the Shareholders United said: "I can't see any difference (compared to Mr Glazer's previous proposals) other than £200m less debt.His previous adviser, JPMorgan, quit last year when Mr Glazer went ahead and voted against the appointment of three United directors to the board, against its advice.NM Rothschild, the investment bank, is advising Mr Glazer, according to the Financial Times. |
2,100 | EA to take on film and TV giants
Video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) says it wants to become the biggest entertainment firm in the world.
The US firm says it wants to compete with companies such as Disney and will only achieve this by making games appeal to mainstream audiences. EA publishes blockbuster titles such as Fifa and John Madden, as well as video game versions of movies such as Harry Potter and the James Bond films. Its revenues were $3bn (£1.65bn) in 2004, which EA hoped to double by 2009. EA is the biggest games publisher in the world and in 2004 had 27 titles which sold in excess of one million copies each. Nine of the 20 biggest-selling games in the UK last year were published by EA.
Gerhard Florin, EA's managing director for European publishing, said: "Doubling our industry in five years is not rocket science." He said it would take many years before EA could challenge Disney - which in 2004 reported revenues of $30bn (£16bn) - but it remained a goal for the company. "We will be able to bring more people into gaming because games will be more emotional." Mr Florin predicted that the next round of games console would give developers enough power to create real emotion.
"It's the subtleties, the eyes, the mouth - 5,000 polygons doesn't really sell the emotion.
"With PS3 and Xbox 2, we can go on the main character with 30,000 to 50,000 polygons," he said. "With that increased firepower, the Finding Nemo video game looks just like the movie, but it will be interactive." Mr Florin said that more than 50% of all EA's games were sold to adults and played by adults, but the perception remained that the video game industry was for children. "Our goal is to bring games to the masses which bring out emotions." EA said the video game industry was now bigger than the music industry. "Nobody queues for music anymore."
"You can't ignore an industry when people queue to buy a game at midnight because they are so desperate to play it," he said, referring to demand for titles for such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2.
Jan Bolz, EA's vice president of sales and marketing in Europe, said the firm was working to give video games a more central role in popular culture. He said the company was in advanced stages of discussions over a reality TV show in which viewers could control the actions of the characters as in its popular game The Sims. "One idea could be that you're controlling a family, telling them when to go to the kitchen and when to go to the bedroom, and with this mechanism you have gamers all over the world 'playing the show'," said Mr Bolz.
He also said EA was planning an international awards show "similar to the Oscars and the Grammys" which would combine video games, music and movies. Mr Bolz said video games firm had to work more closely with celebrities. "People will want to play video games if their heroes like Robbie Williams or Christina Aguilera are in them." Mr Florin said the challenge was to keep people playing in their 30s, 40s and 50s. "There's an indication that a 30 year old comes home from work and still wants to play games. "If that's true, that's a big challenge for TV broadcasters - because watching TV is the biggest pastime at present."
| EA said the video game industry was now bigger than the music industry.Mr Florin said that more than 50% of all EA's games were sold to adults and played by adults, but the perception remained that the video game industry was for children.Mr Bolz said video games firm had to work more closely with celebrities.Video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) says it wants to become the biggest entertainment firm in the world.Jan Bolz, EA's vice president of sales and marketing in Europe, said the firm was working to give video games a more central role in popular culture.He said the company was in advanced stages of discussions over a reality TV show in which viewers could control the actions of the characters as in its popular game The Sims."People will want to play video games if their heroes like Robbie Williams or Christina Aguilera are in them."Mr Florin said the challenge was to keep people playing in their 30s, 40s and 50s.He also said EA was planning an international awards show "similar to the Oscars and the Grammys" which would combine video games, music and movies.He said it would take many years before EA could challenge Disney - which in 2004 reported revenues of $30bn (£16bn) - but it remained a goal for the company."You can't ignore an industry when people queue to buy a game at midnight because they are so desperate to play it," he said, referring to demand for titles for such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2. |
1,415 | Gerrard plays down European hopes
Steven Gerrard has admitted that Liverpool have little chance of winning the Champions League this season.
The 24-year-old Reds skipper spoke out ahead of Tuesday's first leg at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, which he will miss through suspension. "Let's be realistic, there are some fantastic teams left in the Champions League," he told BBC Radio Five Live. "We are just going to try to stay in as long as possible but we realise that maybe it is not our year this year." Gerrard has made no secret of his desire to be involved in Europe's premier club competition.
Last season he described qualification for the Champions League as the "be all and end all" - and rumours persist that he will leave Anfield if the Reds fail to secure a place in the competition. He has consistently been linked with a move away from Liverpool, with Chelsea the favourites to snap up the England midfielder. And Blues boss Jose Mourinho backed Gerrard's view that Rafael Benitez's team could struggle to progress this season. "Rafa has still time in front of him to build an even better team, maybe he's a little bit behind (right now)," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
Gerrard, who fired Liverpool into the last 16 of this season's competition with a brilliant goal in December's win over Olympiakos, insisted he was still fully focused on helping Liverpool to glory this season. The Reds are currently fifth in the Premiership table, five points off the crucial fourth spot, which brings Champions League qualification - and they face Chelsea in Sunday's Carling Cup final. "It's big couple of months for Liverpool," he added. "We're fighting for the fourth spot for the Champions League for next season but we are still involved in two cup competitions, which are very important. "We are confident we can upset Chelsea in the Carling Cup final and get to the last eight of the Champions League because, financially, it is big for the club and, personally for myself, it is very good."
| Steven Gerrard has admitted that Liverpool have little chance of winning the Champions League this season."We're fighting for the fourth spot for the Champions League for next season but we are still involved in two cup competitions, which are very important.Last season he described qualification for the Champions League as the "be all and end all" - and rumours persist that he will leave Anfield if the Reds fail to secure a place in the competition."We are confident we can upset Chelsea in the Carling Cup final and get to the last eight of the Champions League because, financially, it is big for the club and, personally for myself, it is very good."The Reds are currently fifth in the Premiership table, five points off the crucial fourth spot, which brings Champions League qualification - and they face Chelsea in Sunday's Carling Cup final."Let's be realistic, there are some fantastic teams left in the Champions League," he told BBC Radio Five Live. |
546 | Hanks greeted at wintry premiere
Hollywood star Tom Hanks was in London's Leicester Square for the UK premiere of Polar Express.
The West End landmark was turned into a festive landscape complete with snow and carol singers to celebrate the arrival of the animated film. "This is Leicester Square like you've never seen it before," said Hanks, who plays five roles in the movie. Polar Express is based on a children's book which tells the story of a young boy's journey to meet Santa Claus. The 48-year-old actor crossed a three-metre high bridge built in the square, which he said was "almost impossible to get across". Hundreds of fans greeted the star, all wearing Santa hats, and mince pies were on offer. Hanks said that the new film has an "elegant message". "Christmas is a special time of the year and you get out of it what you put into it," added the two-time Academy Award winner.
"I believe in the spirit of Christmas and I think that's embodied in Santa Claus," he said. Polar Express uses technology similar to that used in Lord of the Rings to bring Gollum to life. The "performance capture" technique enables Hanks to play a number of roles, including the eight-year-old boy who is at the centre of the story, and Father Christmas. It is directed by Robert Zemeckis, who has previously worked with Hanks on Forrest Gump and Castaway.
| Hollywood star Tom Hanks was in London's Leicester Square for the UK premiere of Polar Express.Hanks said that the new film has an "elegant message"."This is Leicester Square like you've never seen it before," said Hanks, who plays five roles in the movie."I believe in the spirit of Christmas and I think that's embodied in Santa Claus," he said.Polar Express is based on a children's book which tells the story of a young boy's journey to meet Santa Claus. |
80 | Argentina, Venezuela in oil deal
Argentina and Venezuela have extended a food-for-oil deal, which helped the former to overcome a severe energy crisis last year.
Argentine President Nestor Kirchner and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed the deal in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. Last April, Argentina signed a $240m agreement to import Venezuelan fuel in exchange for agricultural goods and this deal has now been extended. Venezuela will now import cattle, medicines and medical equipment. Last year, Argentina's severe energy crisis forced President Kirchner to suspend gas exports to Chile. Argentina fears that rising demand could spark another crisis and wants to prevent it by signing this deal. The two countries also formalised a co-operation deal between Venezuelan energy firm PDVSA and Argentina's Enarsa. Under this deal, the Argentine market will be opened to Venezuelan investment. President Chavez added that Brazil's Petrobras could join soon the co-operation deal. President Chavez is an ardent promoter of the concept of a South American oil company, which could include the state-owned companies of Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. The two presidents also agreed to create 'Television Sur', a Latin American network of state-owned television channels.
| Argentine President Nestor Kirchner and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed the deal in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.Argentina and Venezuela have extended a food-for-oil deal, which helped the former to overcome a severe energy crisis last year.Last April, Argentina signed a $240m agreement to import Venezuelan fuel in exchange for agricultural goods and this deal has now been extended.President Chavez added that Brazil's Petrobras could join soon the co-operation deal.The two countries also formalised a co-operation deal between Venezuelan energy firm PDVSA and Argentina's Enarsa. |
2,039 | Europe backs digital TV lifestyle
How people receive their digital entertainment in the future could change, following the launch of an ambitious European project.
In Nice last week, the European Commission announced its Networked & Electronic Media (NEM) initiative. Its broad scope stretches from the way media is created, through each of the stages of its distribution, to its playback. The Commission wants people to be able to locate the content they desire and have it delivered seamlessly, when on the move, at home or at work, no matter who supplies the devices, network, content, or content protection scheme. More than 120 experts were in Nice to share the vision of interconnected future and hear pledges of support from companies such as Nokia, Intel, Philips, Alcatel, France Telecom, Thomson and Telefonica. It might initially appear to be surprising that companies in direct competition are keen to work together. But again and again, speakers stated they could not see incompatible, stand-alone solutions working. A long-term strategy for the evolution and convergence of technologies and services would be required.
The European Commission is being pragmatic in its approach. They have identified that many groups have defined the forms of digital media in the areas that NEM encompasses. The NEM approach is to take a serious look at what is available and what is in the pipeline, pick out the best, bring them together and identify where the gaps are. Where it finds holes, it will develop standards to fill them. What is significant is that such a large and powerful organisation has stated its desire for digital formats to be open to all and work on any gadget. This is bound to please, if not surprise, many individuals and user organisations who feel that the wishes of the holder of rights to content are normally considered over and above those of the consumer. Many feel that the most difficult and challenging area for the Commission will be to identify a solution for different Digital Rights Management (DRM) schemes. Currently DRM solutions are incompatible, locking certain types of purchased content, making them unplayable on all platforms. With the potential of having a percentage of every media transaction that takes place globally, the prize for being the supplier of the world's dominant DRM scheme is huge. Although entertainment is an obvious first step, it will encompass the remote provisions of healthcare, energy efficiency and control of the smart home. The 10-year plan brings together the work of many currently running research projects that the EC has been funding for a number of years.
Simon Perry is the editor of the Digital Lifestyles website, which covers the impact of technology on media
| Many feel that the most difficult and challenging area for the Commission will be to identify a solution for different Digital Rights Management (DRM) schemes.They have identified that many groups have defined the forms of digital media in the areas that NEM encompasses.How people receive their digital entertainment in the future could change, following the launch of an ambitious European project.The Commission wants people to be able to locate the content they desire and have it delivered seamlessly, when on the move, at home or at work, no matter who supplies the devices, network, content, or content protection scheme.What is significant is that such a large and powerful organisation has stated its desire for digital formats to be open to all and work on any gadget.Simon Perry is the editor of the Digital Lifestyles website, which covers the impact of technology on mediaThe 10-year plan brings together the work of many currently running research projects that the EC has been funding for a number of years.The European Commission is being pragmatic in its approach. |
1,113 | Schools to take part in mock poll
Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.
Some 600 schools have already signed up for the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 run by the Hansard Society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. Pupils in the schools taking part will learn the skills of speech writers, canvassers and political candidates. Schools Minister Stephen Twigg said engaging young people's interest was "essential" to the future of democracy.
He added: said "Young people who are engaged and motivated by the political process are essential to the future health of our democracy. "The mock elections initiative provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their own understanding of how the democratic process works and why it matters. "By experiencing the election process first hand - from running a campaign to the declaration of the final result - we hope that young people will develop the enthusiasm to take part in the future." The Hansard Society, the Electoral Commission and the Department for Education and Skills are running the programme. Pupils will stand as party candidates, speech writers and canvassers. Michael Raftery, project manager at the Hansard Society, said: "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of citizenship, and the benefits of active democracy." The mock votes will take place around 5 May, widely expected to be the date of the general election. Information packs, including ballot papers and manifesto guides, with elections happening in early May were sent out to the 3,000 schools invited to take part.
| Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.Michael Raftery, project manager at the Hansard Society, said: "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of citizenship, and the benefits of active democracy.""By experiencing the election process first hand - from running a campaign to the declaration of the final result - we hope that young people will develop the enthusiasm to take part in the future."The mock votes will take place around 5 May, widely expected to be the date of the general election.Some 600 schools have already signed up for the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 run by the Hansard Society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. |
2,140 | More women turn to net security
Older people and women are increasingly taking charge of protecting home computers against malicious net attacks, according to a two-year study.
The number of women buying programs to protect PCs from virus, spam and spyware attacks rose by 11.2% each year between 2002 and 2004. The study, for net security firm Preventon, shows that security messages are reaching a diversity of surfers. It is thought that 40% of those buying home net security programs are retired. For the last three years, that has gone up by an average of 13.2%. But more retired women (53%) were buying security software than retired men. The research reflects the changing stereotype and demographics of web users, as well as growing awareness of the greater risks that high-speed broadband net connections can pose to surfers.
The study predicts that 40% of all home PC net security buyers will be women in 2005. They could even overtake men as the main buyers by 2007, if current rates persist, according to the research. "I think older people have become more vigilant about protecting their PCs as we tend to be more cautious and want an insurance policy in case something does go wrong", said one over-60 woman who took part in the research.
"You started off with young male stereotype computer users for last 10 years," Paul Goosens, head of Preventon told the BBC News website. "Now we are seeing real people - both sexes and very often it is women who have more access at home." But net service providers still need to take more responsibility in making sure people are educated about net threats before they go online, particuarly if they are new to broadband, he said.
Programs also need to be tailored so that they can be installed by dial-up users with a slower connection too, said Mr Goosens. Security software should be easy to use, with simple interfaces and instructions written in non-technical language, he added. The nature of the security threats are also becoming more than just about e-mail viruses. High-profile complaints about rogue diallers, and spyware or other programs that surreptitiously install themselves on computers, have also raised awareness about the need to have a combination of anti-virus, firewall and spyware-removal programs too. Without protection, these kinds of programs can be picked up just through surfing the web normally.
More than 30,000 PCs a day globally are being recruited into networks that spread spam and viruses, a study from security from Symantec showed last year. Viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are also getting rarer, according to net security experts. Programs are being unleashed to directly profit criminal gangs, many based in Eastern Europe, over those which are designed to show off technical skills or cause nuisance. The research shows that more people are taking these criminal net threats more seriously because, said Mr Goosens, they are reported in the press much more. "You are seeing older users being educated by the media and are seeing them picking up on this threat. They are asking the right questions," he explained. "It is more likely the younger users who naively assume that because they are using a reputable service provider, that they are safe to connect to the net." An unprotected computer on a broadband connection can be breached and infected with viruses or spyware within minutes. By the end of the year it is thought that more than 30% of UK homes will have broadband net access. In July last year, the number of UK households accessing the net via broadband surpassed those using dial-up for the first time, according to the Office of National Statistics.
| It is thought that 40% of those buying home net security programs are retired.The study predicts that 40% of all home PC net security buyers will be women in 2005.Older people and women are increasingly taking charge of protecting home computers against malicious net attacks, according to a two-year study.The study, for net security firm Preventon, shows that security messages are reaching a diversity of surfers.But net service providers still need to take more responsibility in making sure people are educated about net threats before they go online, particuarly if they are new to broadband, he said.By the end of the year it is thought that more than 30% of UK homes will have broadband net access.The research shows that more people are taking these criminal net threats more seriously because, said Mr Goosens, they are reported in the press much more.Viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are also getting rarer, according to net security experts.But more retired women (53%) were buying security software than retired men.In July last year, the number of UK households accessing the net via broadband surpassed those using dial-up for the first time, according to the Office of National Statistics.The number of women buying programs to protect PCs from virus, spam and spyware attacks rose by 11.2% each year between 2002 and 2004.More than 30,000 PCs a day globally are being recruited into networks that spread spam and viruses, a study from security from Symantec showed last year. |
475 | Watchdog probes Vivendi bond sale
French stock market regulator AMF has filed complaints against media giant Vivendi Universal, its boss and another top executive.
It believes the prospectus for a bond issue was unclear and that executives may have had privileged information. AMF has begun proceedings against Vivendi, its chief executive Jean-Rene Fourtou and chief operating officer Jean-Bernard Levy. Vivendi advisor Deutsche Bank was also the subject of a complaint filing. Deutsche Bank, which was responsible for selling the convertible bonds to investors, could face penalties if the complaint is upheld.
Vivendi has said it believes there is "no legal basis" for the complaints. The watchdog is said to believe the executive pair were party to "privileged information" surrounding the issue of the bonds. Both men bought some of the bonds, the Associated Press news agency reported. AMF is investigating claims that the duo were aware of an interest in Vivendi's US assets from investor Marvin Davis, at the time of the bond sale. Vivendi, however, has said that the information was public knowledge as Mr Davis' offer for the US assets had already been rejected by Vivendi's board. AMF is also looking into whether the executives knew that Vivendi was considering exercising its right to buy British Telecom's shares in Cegetel. Vivendi has rejected the charge, saying the decision to buy the Cegetel shares was "no more than a possibility, of which the public was perfectly aware" at the time of the bond issue. Back in December, Vivendi and its former chief executive Jean-Marie Messier were each fined 1m euros ($1.3m; £690,000) by AMF. The fines came after a 15-month probe into allegations that the media giant misled investors after a costly acquisition programme went wrong.
| Vivendi has rejected the charge, saying the decision to buy the Cegetel shares was "no more than a possibility, of which the public was perfectly aware" at the time of the bond issue.Vivendi, however, has said that the information was public knowledge as Mr Davis' offer for the US assets had already been rejected by Vivendi's board.French stock market regulator AMF has filed complaints against media giant Vivendi Universal, its boss and another top executive.AMF is also looking into whether the executives knew that Vivendi was considering exercising its right to buy British Telecom's shares in Cegetel.It believes the prospectus for a bond issue was unclear and that executives may have had privileged information.Vivendi advisor Deutsche Bank was also the subject of a complaint filing. |
1,760 | Serena ends Sania Mirza's dream
Sania Mirza, the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tennis event, has lost to women's favourite Serena Williams.
The 18-year-old Mirza, who got a wild card entry into the Australian Open in Melbourne, lost to Williams 1-6,4-6 in the third round. Williams took just 56 minutes to defeat Mirza and sail into the fourth round. The only other Indian woman to win a match at a Grand Slam is Nirupama Vaidyanathan. Vaidyanathan made it to the second round of the Australian Open in 1998.
Playing the biggest match of her life, Mirza made little impact on Williams in the early stages of the game. But the teenager showed more confidence in the second set and engaged the seventh-seeded Williams in some well contested rallies. Mirza, a junior Wimbledon doubles title winner, became the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a grand slam tennis event when she beat Hungarian Petra Mandula on Wednesday. "I'm really excited. I was confident but I didn't think it was going to be that easy," Mirza said after her second round win. "My aim was to win a round here. When I did that I was so relieved, there was no pressure." Tennis is not a particularly popular sport in India, but a number of Indians watched the live telecast of the match between Mirza and Williams. Mirza, who lives in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad known for producing a host of top Indian cricketers, turned professional two years ago. She says she was considered too small when she went for her first tennis classes as a six-year-old girl. "Then finally [the coach] called my parents up and said 'the way she hits the ball, I've never seen a six-year-old hit a ball like that'," Mirza told the Associated Press.
| Sania Mirza, the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tennis event, has lost to women's favourite Serena Williams.I was confident but I didn't think it was going to be that easy," Mirza said after her second round win."My aim was to win a round here.Mirza, a junior Wimbledon doubles title winner, became the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a grand slam tennis event when she beat Hungarian Petra Mandula on Wednesday.The 18-year-old Mirza, who got a wild card entry into the Australian Open in Melbourne, lost to Williams 1-6,4-6 in the third round.Williams took just 56 minutes to defeat Mirza and sail into the fourth round.Vaidyanathan made it to the second round of the Australian Open in 1998. |
572 | Spirit awards hail Sideways
The comedy Sideways has dominated this year's Independent Spirit Awards, winning all six of the awards for which it was nominated.
It was named best film while Alexander Payne won best director and best screenplay, along with writing partner Jim Taylor. It also won acting awards for stars Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen. Sideways is tipped to do well at Sunday's Oscars, with five nominations.
The awards, now in their 20th year, are given to films made outside the traditional studio system, and are traditionally held the day before the Oscars. Other winners included Catalina Sandino Moreno, who took best actress for her role as a drug smuggler in the Colombian drama Maria Full of Grace. Moreno is also nominated for best actress at the Oscars. The best first screenplay award went to Joshua Marston for Maria Full of Grace. Scrubs star Zach Braff won the award for best first feature for Garden State, which he wrote, directed and starred in. Oscar-nominated euthanasia film The Sea Inside from Spain won best foreign film, while Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster was awarded best documentary. Actor Rodrigo de la Serna took the best debut performance prize for The Motorcycle Diaries. The awards are voted for by the 9,000 members of the Independent Feature Project/Los Angeles, which includes actors, directors, writers and other industry professionals. Last year's big winner, Lost In Translation, went on to win the Oscar for best original screenplay, for writer-director Sofia Coppola.
| It was named best film while Alexander Payne won best director and best screenplay, along with writing partner Jim Taylor.Moreno is also nominated for best actress at the Oscars.The best first screenplay award went to Joshua Marston for Maria Full of Grace.Oscar-nominated euthanasia film The Sea Inside from Spain won best foreign film, while Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster was awarded best documentary.Scrubs star Zach Braff won the award for best first feature for Garden State, which he wrote, directed and starred in.Other winners included Catalina Sandino Moreno, who took best actress for her role as a drug smuggler in the Colombian drama Maria Full of Grace. |
2,035 | Millions to miss out on the net
By 2025, 40% of the UK's population will still be without internet access at home, says a study.
Around 23 million Britons will miss out on a wide range of essential services such as education and medical information, predicts the report by telecoms giant BT. It compares to 27 million, or 50%, of the UK, who are not currently online. The idea that the digital divide will evaporate with time is "wishful thinking", the report concludes.
The study calls on the government and telecoms industry to come up with new ways to lure those that have been bypassed by the digital revolution. Although the percentage of Britons without home access will have fallen slightly, those that remain digital refuseniks will miss out on more, the report suggests. As more and more everyday tasks move online and offline services become less comprehensive, the divide will become more obvious and more burdensome for those that have not got net access, it predicts.
The gap between "have-nets" and "have-nots" has been much talked about, but predictions about how such a divide will affect future generations has been less discussed. BT set out to predict future patterns based on current information and taking account of the way technology is changing. Optimists who predict that convergence and the emergence of more user-friendly technology will bridge the digital divide could be way off mark, the report suggests. "Internet access on other devices tends to be something taken up by those who already have it," said Adrian Hosford, director of corporate responsibility at BT. Costs of internet access have fallen dramatically and coverage in remote areas have vastly improved over the last year but the real barrier remains psychological. "There is a hard rump of have-nots who are not engaging with the net. They don't have the motivation or skills or perceive the benefits," said Mr Hosford.
As now, the most disadvantaged groups are likely to remain among low income families, the older generation and the disabled.
Those on low incomes will account for a quarter of the digital have-nots, the disabled will make up 16% and the elderly nearly a third by 2025, the report forecasts. Organisations such as BT have a responsibility to help tackle the problem, said Mr Hosford. The telco has seen positive results with its Everybody Online project which offers internet access to people in eight deprived communities around Britain. In one area of Cornwall with high levels of unemployment, online training helped people rewrite CVs and learn skills to get new jobs, explained Mr Hosford. Such grassroot activity addressing the specific needs of individual communities is essential is the problem of the digital divide is to be overcome, he said. "If we don't address this problem now, it will get a lot worse and people will find it more difficult to find jobs, education opportunities will be limited and they'll simply not be able to keep up with society," he said. The Alliance for Digital Inclusion, an independent body with members drawn from government, industry and the voluntary sector has recently been set up to tackle some of the issues faced by the digital refuseniks.
| Although the percentage of Britons without home access will have fallen slightly, those that remain digital refuseniks will miss out on more, the report suggests."Internet access on other devices tends to be something taken up by those who already have it," said Adrian Hosford, director of corporate responsibility at BT.Optimists who predict that convergence and the emergence of more user-friendly technology will bridge the digital divide could be way off mark, the report suggests.Organisations such as BT have a responsibility to help tackle the problem, said Mr Hosford.Such grassroot activity addressing the specific needs of individual communities is essential is the problem of the digital divide is to be overcome, he said.The idea that the digital divide will evaporate with time is "wishful thinking", the report concludes.Those on low incomes will account for a quarter of the digital have-nots, the disabled will make up 16% and the elderly nearly a third by 2025, the report forecasts.As more and more everyday tasks move online and offline services become less comprehensive, the divide will become more obvious and more burdensome for those that have not got net access, it predicts.The telco has seen positive results with its Everybody Online project which offers internet access to people in eight deprived communities around Britain. |
636 | Doves soar to UK album summit
Manchester rock band Doves have entered the UK album chart at number one with their new release, Some Cities.
The trio replace flamboyant US act Scissor Sisters at the top. The album follows single Black and White Town, which reached number six. R&B star Nelly has the new number one single with Over and Over, which sees him team up with Tim McGraw. Girls Aloud, Akon and Kaiser Chiefs all have new singles in the top ten, as do Futureheads and Usher.
The latest Elvis Presley re-release, (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame, entered the chart at number three, one place ahead of Girls Aloud's Wake Me Up. Hip-hop performer Akon's Locked Up is at number five, while hotly-tipped Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs have their second chart hit at number six with Oh My God.
Futureheads' cover of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love entered the chart at number eight, while Usher's Caught Up was a new entry at number nine. In the album chart, operatic quartet Il Divo's eponymous debut rose 23 places to number six, while crooner Tony Christie's Definitive Collection is a new entry at number 10, making it the highest-charting album of the singer's career.
| Manchester rock band Doves have entered the UK album chart at number one with their new release, Some Cities.Futureheads' cover of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love entered the chart at number eight, while Usher's Caught Up was a new entry at number nine.In the album chart, operatic quartet Il Divo's eponymous debut rose 23 places to number six, while crooner Tony Christie's Definitive Collection is a new entry at number 10, making it the highest-charting album of the singer's career.Hip-hop performer Akon's Locked Up is at number five, while hotly-tipped Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs have their second chart hit at number six with Oh My God. |
729 | US TV host Clark suffers stroke
Veteran US television host Dick Clark is in hospital in Los Angeles after suffering a mild stroke.
The 75-year-old presented long-running show American Bandstand from 1956-87 and has since hosted game shows and produced award ceremonies. Clark is scheduled to welcome in the New Year on the ABC network, a job he has done for 33 years. The presenter said that he is "hopeful" of getting better in time to lead the festivities in New York's Times Square. Clark's publicist Paul Shefrin said the television host was "recovering" and there was no cause for alarm. Clark, who produces the Golden Globe and American Music Awards, disclosed last year that he was suffering from diabetes.
His popular music show American Bandstand was first broadcast in 1952, and attracted an audience of 20 million people after it was picked up by ABC in 1957. The long-running weekly series, which featured guests including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Aretha Frankin, came to an end in 1989. Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 for his contribution to the music industry. He has also been responsible for television series such as TV Bloopers, Celebrity Boxing and drama American Dreams. Clark is also expected to act as executive producer for the upcoming Golden Globe Awards ceremony, which is taking place on 16 January.
| Clark, who produces the Golden Globe and American Music Awards, disclosed last year that he was suffering from diabetes.His popular music show American Bandstand was first broadcast in 1952, and attracted an audience of 20 million people after it was picked up by ABC in 1957.Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 for his contribution to the music industry.Clark's publicist Paul Shefrin said the television host was "recovering" and there was no cause for alarm.Clark is scheduled to welcome in the New Year on the ABC network, a job he has done for 33 years. |
1,593 | Mourinho takes swipe at Arsenal
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has attempted to pile the pressure on title rivals Arsenal ahead of the Gunners facing Newcastle on Wednesday.
Arsenal will play the Magpies a day after Chelsea beat Portsmouth during a busy festive programme. And Mourinho said: "They always seem to have two or three days' rest in which to recover. Perhaps it's something to do with the television schedule. "All my players are tired, especially John Terry."
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admitted his side were "lucky" to win at Fratton Park but is still unhappy with the amount of games in such a short space of time during this time of year. He added: "We have had to play two matches in three days which is foreign to many of my players and, although I understand the traditions of football here at this time of year, it is not good for your health to do it.
"You can sit back and smoke cigars, one after another, and it is a good life, but it is not actually good for you. "Playing so many games is certainly not healthy, especially for teams who still have European commitment."
| He added: "We have had to play two matches in three days which is foreign to many of my players and, although I understand the traditions of football here at this time of year, it is not good for your health to do it.Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admitted his side were "lucky" to win at Fratton Park but is still unhappy with the amount of games in such a short space of time during this time of year.Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has attempted to pile the pressure on title rivals Arsenal ahead of the Gunners facing Newcastle on Wednesday.Arsenal will play the Magpies a day after Chelsea beat Portsmouth during a busy festive programme. |
2,182 | What price for 'trusted PC security'?
You can now buy "trusted computers", but can we really trust the PC vendors, asks technology analyst Bill Thompson.
If you have recently bought an IBM ThinkVantage computer, a Dell Optiplex, or one of a whole range of laptops from Toshiba, HP/Compaq or Samsung then you may have got more for your money than you realised. Inside your shiny new PC is an extra chip called the trusted platform module (TPM) that can be used for a range of hardware-based security features. Eventually the TPM will be built into the main processor itself, and if the trusted computing group has its way then you will find one in every piece of hardware you own, from mobile phones to TV set top boxes to children's toys. But for the moment it is a separate piece of hardware, providing enhanced security features to programs that know how to use them. And as part of a well-designed network system, it can provide a lot more security than we enjoy today. A big advantage of the TPM is that it is hardware-based.
At the moment most of us rely on software to keep our information safe and secure. It might be password-protected user accounts, data encryption programs or a firewall, but it all relies on program code running on an inherently insecure processor.
Hardware security is less common, even if it is a lot safer. This is partly because it is more expensive to give someone a smartcard than a password, but also because its more work for users, systems administrators and managers. As a result we settle for second best. So when it comes to computer security, trusted systems could be a major step forward. After all, if you have a laptop that will only run programs that have been digitally signed then it will be a lot harder for virus writers to get their malicious code to run. And if all your files are locked automatically then even if you get your computer stolen your personal data will be safeguarded. At the moment support for trusted hardware is not built into major operating systems. Instead you have to use special software, like HP's ProtectTools or Wave Systems' Embassy. This provides file encryption, password management and identity protection, usually for business users who connect to company networks. Full support for the trusted computing specification will not be available from Microsoft until the next release of Windows, "Longhorn". This will include what Microsoft, in a typical act of obscurantism, calls the "Next Generation Secure Computing Base", and it will give user-level programs access to the trusted computing hardware. When that happens we can expect to see a lot of publicity around the new capabilities, and no doubt the Windows security centre will encourage users to turn on their trusted computing capability just as they turn on their firewall. However there is a downside to the increased security from viruses, spyware and data theft that this will provide.
Because the trusted computing base is also used to make digital rights management (DRM) systems more secure, this will give content providers a lot more control over what we can do with music, movies and books that we have bought from them. We have seen recently how allowing digital rights management services into our lives can lead to unwelcome consequences. Users of Apple's iTunes used to be able to stream the music they had brought to up to five other iTunes users, a great way of letting your mates discover your music collection.
But the latest version of iTunes limits this capability, just as an earlier upgrade reduced the number of times you could burn a selected playlist of purchased songs to a CD. Another took away the ability to play songs downloaded from Real's Harmony service on your iPod. Apple can do this because they wrote the software and they control the rights management. Once it is embedded in trusted hardware it will be even harder for dedicated programmers to find their way around these restrictions and give us back the fair use rights that should be guaranteed under copyright law. Similarly, users of TiVo digital video recorders have found that they cannot record some shows, and other programmes that they have recorded are automatically deleted after a day. This happens because of changes that TiVo have made to their software, and the users cannot control it. One wonders whether hardware-based DRM will work for those who believe that locking-down digital content is a bad idea, and that the flexibility of copyright law is something that should be embraced and not taken away. It will not work because of the fundamental flaw at the heart of the system: in order for the purchaser to view the content it has to be unlocked. Once it is unlocked then someone, somewhere, will figure out a way to make a copy of the unlocked version. And once an unlocked version leaks onto the network it will be uncontrollable. The efforts going into DRM would be much better spent building efficient distribution services, finding business models that are based on trusting your customers, and offering high quality downloads at fair prices. What we want is not so much a trusted computing platform as a trusted customer platform. The record companies and the film industry need to recognise that most of us, most of the time, will pay a reasonable amount for good quality material. They will benefit more by building a market in which I can share songs with my friends, record shows I want to watch later, and burn CDs for my kids; a market which respects the spirit of copyright law and does not seek to replace it by restrictive contracts or end user agreements. We need to ensure that trusted computing remains under the control of the users and is not used to take away the freedoms we enjoy today.
Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital.
| Because the trusted computing base is also used to make digital rights management (DRM) systems more secure, this will give content providers a lot more control over what we can do with music, movies and books that we have bought from them.We need to ensure that trusted computing remains under the control of the users and is not used to take away the freedoms we enjoy today.So when it comes to computer security, trusted systems could be a major step forward.Once it is embedded in trusted hardware it will be even harder for dedicated programmers to find their way around these restrictions and give us back the fair use rights that should be guaranteed under copyright law.When that happens we can expect to see a lot of publicity around the new capabilities, and no doubt the Windows security centre will encourage users to turn on their trusted computing capability just as they turn on their firewall.This will include what Microsoft, in a typical act of obscurantism, calls the "Next Generation Secure Computing Base", and it will give user-level programs access to the trusted computing hardware.What we want is not so much a trusted computing platform as a trusted customer platform.Inside your shiny new PC is an extra chip called the trusted platform module (TPM) that can be used for a range of hardware-based security features.At the moment support for trusted hardware is not built into major operating systems.Eventually the TPM will be built into the main processor itself, and if the trusted computing group has its way then you will find one in every piece of hardware you own, from mobile phones to TV set top boxes to children's toys.And as part of a well-designed network system, it can provide a lot more security than we enjoy today.Hardware security is less common, even if it is a lot safer.But for the moment it is a separate piece of hardware, providing enhanced security features to programs that know how to use them.Full support for the trusted computing specification will not be available from Microsoft until the next release of Windows, "Longhorn".This happens because of changes that TiVo have made to their software, and the users cannot control it.Apple can do this because they wrote the software and they control the rights management.One wonders whether hardware-based DRM will work for those who believe that locking-down digital content is a bad idea, and that the flexibility of copyright law is something that should be embraced and not taken away. |
1,155 | 'Poll Idols' face first hurdles
Vote For Me - ITV1's Pop Idol style talent contest for would-be politicians - finally hits our screens this week.
Over the next four days, hundreds of potential candidates will be whittled down by a panel of experts and public vote. The winner will then be encouraged to stand as an independent at the next general election, which is expected in the spring. But opinion is divided on whether any of the potential candidates unearthed so far have got what it takes to make it in politics. "Any of them would make competent MPs," former independent MP Martin Bell insisted on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Mr Bell, who will be offering his advice to the contestants on Wednesday, argues that Westminster has its share of "odd balls" and the show will engage ordinary voters. "If it gets more people voting and more people interested in politics there is no harm in that," he said. But Sir Bernard Ingham, Margaret Thatcher's former press secretary, took a less charitable view, accusing the programme of "corrupting politics".
He said the producers would not achieve their aim of re-engaging voters "with that bunch of nutters". To give Sir Bernard his dues, Monday evening's opening episode did attract more than a smattering of eccentrics and self-publicists. Among those chancing their arm were a druid priest and a former porn star, who insisted on removing her top to make her point about the legalisation of brothels. Among the more eccentric policy proposals was a public holiday on Bruce Forsyth's birthday and Bill Oddie for prime minister. The show follows the time-honoured Pop Idol format, with queues of nervous hopefuls and a panel of three experts judging their performance.
The contestants were given 60 seconds to present their manifestos. Then the final 25 were tested on their lobbying ability. They were then cross-examined by the panel, which was chaired by ex-ITN political editor John Sergeant, with television host Lorraine Kelly taking the Nicki Chapman role. But the real star of the show is Kelvin MacKenzie, in the Simon Cowell, Mr Nasty seat.
The former Sun editor dispensed a stream of well-crafted insults and one-liners. His advice for one young contestant was to "get a haircut and a brain transplant". Wheelchair user Kevin Donnellon was asked: "Why on earth do you want our elected representatives to be disabled?" "Don't you care about the Inuit?", implored guitar-toting environmental campaigner Barry Lim. "I don't care about them. I care about myself and when the sun's shining I think - fantastic," replied Mr MacKenzie.
Mr Lim later reduced the panel to fits of giggles as he outlined his plan to make people do community service instead of paying taxes. "When the prime minister turns to the chancellor and says how much have we got in the coffers Mr Brown, he says well, prime minister, bad news, all the houses in Britain have been painted but actually nobody has paid any tax," observed Mr MacKenzie. "That was an total disaster. I just couldn't seem to think of things to say," a crestfallen Mr Lim confided in the show's presenter, Jonathan Maitland. Irfan Hanif, a 25-year-old doctor from Bolton, made a good impression, even if he was a little thrown by Mr MacKenzie's suggestion that instead of being treated by the NHS, young drunks should "given a good beating" and left to die. Dominic Carman - son of late libel lawyer George Carman - was voted through to the final 25, on a platform of cutting defence spending to boost education. Opinion was more divided over Rodney Hylton-Potts, a 59-year-old convicted fraudster. Mr MacKenzie thought the smooth-talking former solicitor - with a hardline on crime and immigration - deserved a chance to progress. "He could join the rest of the crooks in the Houses of Parliament." But Ms Kelly said she "would not trust him as far as she could throw him". The series continues throughout the week, with the public given the chance to evict one prospective MP every night. ITV will not fund the election campaign for the eventual winner, but the publicity could give the winner a flying start over other candidates.
| I care about myself and when the sun's shining I think - fantastic," replied Mr MacKenzie.His advice for one young contestant was to "get a haircut and a brain transplant".Mr Lim later reduced the panel to fits of giggles as he outlined his plan to make people do community service instead of paying taxes."Any of them would make competent MPs," former independent MP Martin Bell insisted on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.Mr MacKenzie thought the smooth-talking former solicitor - with a hardline on crime and immigration - deserved a chance to progress.Irfan Hanif, a 25-year-old doctor from Bolton, made a good impression, even if he was a little thrown by Mr MacKenzie's suggestion that instead of being treated by the NHS, young drunks should "given a good beating" and left to die."That was an total disaster.Among the more eccentric policy proposals was a public holiday on Bruce Forsyth's birthday and Bill Oddie for prime minister."When the prime minister turns to the chancellor and says how much have we got in the coffers Mr Brown, he says well, prime minister, bad news, all the houses in Britain have been painted but actually nobody has paid any tax," observed Mr MacKenzie.But Ms Kelly said she "would not trust him as far as she could throw him".Opinion was more divided over Rodney Hylton-Potts, a 59-year-old convicted fraudster.But the real star of the show is Kelvin MacKenzie, in the Simon Cowell, Mr Nasty seat.But opinion is divided on whether any of the potential candidates unearthed so far have got what it takes to make it in politics.Mr Bell, who will be offering his advice to the contestants on Wednesday, argues that Westminster has its share of "odd balls" and the show will engage ordinary voters.They were then cross-examined by the panel, which was chaired by ex-ITN political editor John Sergeant, with television host Lorraine Kelly taking the Nicki Chapman role. |
2,221 | BT program to beat dialler scams
BT is introducing two initiatives to help beat rogue dialler scams, which can cost dial-up net users thousands.
From May, dial-up net users will be able to download free software to stop computers using numbers not on a user's "pre-approved list". Inadvertently downloaded by surfers, rogue diallers are programs which hijack modems and dial up a premium rate number when users log on. Thousands of UK dial-up users are believed to have been hit by the scam. Some people have faced phone bills of up to £2,000. BT's Modem Protection program will check numbers that are dialled by a computer and will block them if they have not been pre-approved, such as national and net service provider numbers. Icstis, the UK's premium rate services watchdog, said it had been looking for companies to take the lead in initiatives. "The initiatives are very welcome," a spokesperson from Icstis told the BBC News website. "We are very pleased to see they are putting into place new measures to protect consumers."
The second initiative BT announced is an early warning system which will alert BT customers if there is unusual activity on their phone bills. If a bill rises substantially above its usual daily average, or if a call is made to a suspect number, a text or voice alert will be sent to the user's landline phone. As part of the clamp-down on rogue diallers, companies must now satisfy stringent conditions, including clear terms and conditions, information about how to delete diallers and responsibility for customer refunds. Any firm running a dialler without permission can now be closed down by Icstis. The watchdog brought in the action last October following a decision to license all companies which wanted to operate legitimate premium rate dialler services.
There are legitimate companies who offer services such as adult content, sports results and music downloads by charging a premium rate rather than by credit card BT said it had ploughed an enormous amount of effort into protecting people from the problem. It has already barred more than 1,000 premium rate numbers and has tried to raise public awareness about the scams. "We now want to ensure there are even stronger safeguards for our customers, who we would urge to make use of these new options to protect themselves," said Gavin Patterson, group managing director for consumer the arm of BT. Both schemes have been undergoing trials in Ireland, and will be made available to 20 million BT customers from May.
| BT is introducing two initiatives to help beat rogue dialler scams, which can cost dial-up net users thousands.Inadvertently downloaded by surfers, rogue diallers are programs which hijack modems and dial up a premium rate number when users log on.Icstis, the UK's premium rate services watchdog, said it had been looking for companies to take the lead in initiatives.There are legitimate companies who offer services such as adult content, sports results and music downloads by charging a premium rate rather than by credit card BT said it had ploughed an enormous amount of effort into protecting people from the problem.The second initiative BT announced is an early warning system which will alert BT customers if there is unusual activity on their phone bills.From May, dial-up net users will be able to download free software to stop computers using numbers not on a user's "pre-approved list".The watchdog brought in the action last October following a decision to license all companies which wanted to operate legitimate premium rate dialler services.It has already barred more than 1,000 premium rate numbers and has tried to raise public awareness about the scams. |
1,889 | Yahoo celebrates a decade online
Yahoo, one of the net's most iconic companies, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week.
The web portal has undergone remarkable change since it was set up by Stanford University students David Filo and Jerry Yang in a campus trailer. The students wanted a way of keeping track of their web-based interests. The categories lists they devised soon became popular to hundreds of people and the two saw business potential in their idea.
Originally dubbed "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" the firm adopted the moniker Yahoo because the founders liked the dictionary definition of a yahoo as a rude, unsophisticated, uncouth person. The term was popularised by the 18th Century satirist Jonathan Swift in his classic novel, Gulliver's Travels. "We were certainly not sophisticated or civilised," Mr Yang told reporters ahead of the anniversary, which will be officially recognised on 2 March.
They did have business brains however, and in April 1995 persuaded venture capitalists Sequoia Capital, which also invested in Apple Computer and Cisco Systems, to fund Yahoo to the tune of $2m (£1.04m). A second round of funding followed in the autumn and the company floated in April 1996 with less than 50 employees. Now the firm employs 7,600 workers and insists its dot com culture of "work hard, play hard" still remains. It is one of just a handful of survivors of the dot-com crash although it now faces intense rivalry from firms such as Google, MSN and AOL. Jerry Yang, who remains the firm's "Chief Yahoo", is proud of what the company has achieved. "In just one decade, the internet has changed the way consumers do just about everything - and it's been a remarkable and wonderful experience," he said. Through it all, we wanted to build products that satisfied our users wants and needs, but it's even more than that - it's to help every one of us to discover, get more done, share and interact."
| Jerry Yang, who remains the firm's "Chief Yahoo", is proud of what the company has achieved.Yahoo, one of the net's most iconic companies, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week.The web portal has undergone remarkable change since it was set up by Stanford University students David Filo and Jerry Yang in a campus trailer."In just one decade, the internet has changed the way consumers do just about everything - and it's been a remarkable and wonderful experience," he said.Originally dubbed "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" the firm adopted the moniker Yahoo because the founders liked the dictionary definition of a yahoo as a rude, unsophisticated, uncouth person.They did have business brains however, and in April 1995 persuaded venture capitalists Sequoia Capital, which also invested in Apple Computer and Cisco Systems, to fund Yahoo to the tune of $2m (£1.04m). |
1,401 | Jones files lawsuit against Conte
Marion Jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Balco boss Victor Conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs.
The Sydney Olympic gold medallist says Conte damaged her reputation and she is seeking $25m (£13m) in the suit. Conte, whose company is at the centre of a doping investigation, made the claims in a US television programme. He and three others were indicted in February by a federal grand jury for a variety of alleged offences. In an email to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Conte said: "I stand by everything I said". Jones won three gold medals and two bronzes in Sydney in 2000. Her lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in San Francisco, said the sprinter had passed a lie detector test and that she "has never taken banned performance-enhancing drugs". Conte's statements, the suit added, were "false and malicious". After the ABC television program earlier this month, Jones' lawyer Richard Nicholls said: "Marion has steadfastly maintained her position throughout: she has never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs. "Victor Conte is a man facing a 42-count federal indictment, while Marion Jones is one of America's most decorated female athletes. Mr Conte's statements have been wildly contradictory. "Mr Conte chose to make unsubstantiated allegations on television, while Marion Jones demanded to take and then passed a lie detector examination.
"Mr Conte is simply not credible. We challenge him to submit to the same lie detector procedure that Marion Jones passed." The sport's ruling body, the IAAF, is taking a cautious approach to Conte's allegations but contacted the US Anti-Doping Agency. Communications director Nick Davies said the IAAF would seek to contact Conte "for further information". But Davies stressed it would be up to the American authorities to decide whether they will take action against Jones in light of Conte's television interview and the world governing body would monitor the situation closely. "If it is felt there is case to answer, it would be for its national governing body (USA Track and Field) to take the appropriate disciplinary action," he added. "The US Anti-Doping Agency has proved itself to be very diligent in its anti-doping war. "And I am sure, like ourselves, they will be watching the television programme with great interest." Jones, who is under investigation for steroid use by the US Anti-Doping Agency, has continually denied ever taking illegal substances since being investigated in the Balco scandal, although she praised a zinc supplement Conte marketed. Jones, who did not win any medals in Athens in August, has never failed a drugs test. Meanwhile, Conte, who has been charged along with three other men of distributing illegal steroids and money laundering, is due to face trial in March.
| "Mr Conte chose to make unsubstantiated allegations on television, while Marion Jones demanded to take and then passed a lie detector examination.Marion Jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Balco boss Victor Conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs.Jones, who is under investigation for steroid use by the US Anti-Doping Agency, has continually denied ever taking illegal substances since being investigated in the Balco scandal, although she praised a zinc supplement Conte marketed.After the ABC television program earlier this month, Jones' lawyer Richard Nicholls said: "Marion has steadfastly maintained her position throughout: she has never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs."Victor Conte is a man facing a 42-count federal indictment, while Marion Jones is one of America's most decorated female athletes.But Davies stressed it would be up to the American authorities to decide whether they will take action against Jones in light of Conte's television interview and the world governing body would monitor the situation closely.Conte, whose company is at the centre of a doping investigation, made the claims in a US television programme."Mr Conte is simply not credible.We challenge him to submit to the same lie detector procedure that Marion Jones passed."Communications director Nick Davies said the IAAF would seek to contact Conte "for further information". |
245 | The 'ticking budget' facing the US
The budget proposals laid out by the administration of US President George W Bush are highly controversial. The Washington-based Economic Policy Institute, which tends to be critical of the President, looks at possible fault lines. US politicians and citizens of all political persuasions are in for a dose of shock therapy. Without major changes in current policies and political prejudices, the federal budget simply cannot hold together. News coverage of the Bush budget will be dominated by debates about spending cuts, but the fact is these will be large cuts in small programs. From the standpoint of the big fiscal trends, the cuts are gratuitous and the big budget train wreck is yet to come. Under direct threat will be the federal government's ability to make good on its debts to the Social Security Trust Fund. As soon as 2018, the fund will begin to require some cash returns on its bond holdings in order to finance all promised benefits.
The trigger for the coming shock will be rising federal debt, which will grow in 10 years, by conservative estimates, to more than half the nation's total annual output.
This upward trend will force increased borrowing by the federal government, putting upward pressure on interest rates faced by consumers and business. Even now, a growing share of US borrowing is from abroad. The US Government cannot finance its operations without heavy borrowing from the central banks of Japan and China, among other nations. This does not bode well for US influence in the world. The decline of the dollar is a warning sign that current economic trends cannot continue. The dollar is already sinking. Before too long, credit markets are likely to react, and interest rates will creep upwards. That will be the shock.
Interest-sensitive industries will feel pain immediately - sectors such as housing, automobiles, other consumer durables, agriculture, and small business. Some will recall the news footage of angry farmers driving their heavy equipment around the US Capitol in the late 1970s. There will be no need for constitutional amendments to balance the budget. The public outcry will force Congress to act. Whether it will act wisely is another matter. How did this happen?
By definition, the deficit means too little revenue and too much spending - but this neutral description doesn't adequately capture the current situation. Federal revenues are at 1950s levels, while spending remains where it has been in recent decades - much higher. In addition, the United States has two significant military missions. The Bush administration's chosen remedy is the least feasible one. Reducing domestic spending, or eliminating "waste, fraud and abuse" is toothless because this slice of the budget is too small to solve the problem. Indeed, if Congress were rash enough to balance the budget in this way, there would hardly be any such spending left. Law enforcement, space exploration, environmental clean-up, economic development, the Small Business Administration, housing, veterans' benefits, aid to state and local governments would all but disappear. It's fantasy to think these routine government functions could be slashed. The biggest spending growth areas are defence (including homeland security), and health care for the elderly and the poor. To some extent, increases in these areas are inevitable. The US population is aging, and the nation does face genuine threats in the world. But serious savings can only be found where the big money is. Savings in health care spending that do not come at the expense of health can only be achieved with wholesale reform of the entire system, public and private. Brute force budget cuts or spending caps would ill-serve the nation's elderly and indigent.
On the revenue side, the lion's share of revenue lost to tax cuts enacted since 2000 will have to be replaced.
Some rearranging could hold many people harmless and focus most of the pain on those with relatively high incomes. Finally, blind allegiance to a balanced budget will have to be abandoned. There is no good reason to fixate on it, anyway. Moderate deficits and slowly rising federal debt can be sustained indefinitely. Borrowing for investments in education and infrastructure that pay off in future years makes sense. The sooner we face that reality, the sooner workable reforms can be pursued. First on the list should be tax reform to raise revenue, simplify the tax code, and restore some fairness eroded by the Bush tax cuts. Second should be a dispassionate re-evaluation of the huge increase in defence spending over the past three years, much of it unrelated to Afghanistan, Iraq, or terrorism. Third must be the start of a serious debate on large-scale health care reform. One thing is certain - destroying the budget in order to save it is not going to equip the US economy and government for the challenges of this new century.
| Brute force budget cuts or spending caps would ill-serve the nation's elderly and indigent.News coverage of the Bush budget will be dominated by debates about spending cuts, but the fact is these will be large cuts in small programs.Without major changes in current policies and political prejudices, the federal budget simply cannot hold together.The budget proposals laid out by the administration of US President George W Bush are highly controversial.Federal revenues are at 1950s levels, while spending remains where it has been in recent decades - much higher.Indeed, if Congress were rash enough to balance the budget in this way, there would hardly be any such spending left.The US Government cannot finance its operations without heavy borrowing from the central banks of Japan and China, among other nations.One thing is certain - destroying the budget in order to save it is not going to equip the US economy and government for the challenges of this new century.This upward trend will force increased borrowing by the federal government, putting upward pressure on interest rates faced by consumers and business.Reducing domestic spending, or eliminating "waste, fraud and abuse" is toothless because this slice of the budget is too small to solve the problem.The biggest spending growth areas are defence (including homeland security), and health care for the elderly and the poor.Savings in health care spending that do not come at the expense of health can only be achieved with wholesale reform of the entire system, public and private.Even now, a growing share of US borrowing is from abroad.US politicians and citizens of all political persuasions are in for a dose of shock therapy.Under direct threat will be the federal government's ability to make good on its debts to the Social Security Trust Fund.By definition, the deficit means too little revenue and too much spending - but this neutral description doesn't adequately capture the current situation.The trigger for the coming shock will be rising federal debt, which will grow in 10 years, by conservative estimates, to more than half the nation's total annual output.From the standpoint of the big fiscal trends, the cuts are gratuitous and the big budget train wreck is yet to come.The US population is aging, and the nation does face genuine threats in the world.There will be no need for constitutional amendments to balance the budget. |
409 | UK bank seals South Korean deal
UK-based bank Standard Chartered said it would spend $3.3bn (£1.8bn) to buy one of South Korea's main retail banks.
Standard Chartered said acquiring Korea First Bank (KFB) fulfilled a strategic objective of building a bigger presence in Asia's third largest economy. Its shares fell nearly 3% in London as the bank raised funds for the deal by selling new stocks worth £1bn ($1.8bn), equal to 10% of its share capital. Standard Chartered expects about 16% of future group revenue to come from KFB.
The South Korean bank will also make up 22% of the group's total assets. The move, a year after Citigroup beat Standard Chartered to buy Koram bank, would be the South Korean financial sector's biggest foreign takeover. This time around, Standard Chartered is thought to have beaten HSBC to the deal. KFB is South Korea's seventh largest bank, with 3 million retail customers, 6% of the country's banking market and an extensive branch network.
The country's banking market is three times the size of Hong Kong's with annual revenues of $44bn. Standard Chartered has its headquarters in London but does two thirds of its business in Asia, and much of the rest in Africa. "We're comfortable with the price paid...the key here has been speed and decisiveness in making sure that we won," said Standard Chartered chief executive Mervyn Davies at a London press conference. Standard Chartered said KFB was a "well-managed, conservatively run bank with a highly skilled workforce" and represented a "significant acquisition in a growth market". In London, Standard Chartered's sale of 118 million new shares to institutional investors pushed its share price down, and contributing to the FTSE 100's 0.3% decline. Standard Chartered's shares were 28 pence lower at 925p by midday. Some analysts also queried whether Standard Chartered had overpaid for KFB. The deal, which requires regulatory approval, is expected to be completed by April 2005 and to be earnings accretive in 2006, Standard Chartered said.
Rival banking giant HSBC, which is based in London and Hong Kong, was also in the running. Standard Chartered is believed to have gained the initiative by putting together a bid during the Christmas break. "They were able to move so quickly it caught HSBC by surprise," the Financial Times newspaper quoted an insider in the talks as saying. HSBC will now have to wait for the next South Korean bank in line to be sold off - thought likely to be Korea Exchange Bank, also currently in the hands of a US group. Standard Chartered said it was buying 100% of KFB, an agreement that would bring an end to the bank's complex dual ownership. The South Korean government owns 51.4% of KFB, while the remaining shareholding, and operational control, are in the hands of US private equity group Newbridge Capital. Newbridge bought its stake during the government's nationalisation of several banks in the wake of the 1997 Asia-wide currency crisis which crippled South Korea's financial institutions.
South Korea's economy is expected to grow by 4.5% this year. Although often thought of an export-driven economy, South Korea's service sector has overtaken manufacturing in the last decade or so. Services now make up roughly 40% of the economy, and consumer spending and retail banking have become increasingly important. In the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, the government encouraged the growth of consumer credit. Bad loan problems followed; LG Card, the country's biggest credit card provider, has been struggling to avoid bankruptcy for months, for instance. But analysts believe South Korea's financial services industry is still in its infancy, offering plenty of scope for new products. Standard Chartered sees "the opportunity to create value by the introduction of more sophisticated banking products". Since 1999, KFB has been restructured from a wholesale bank into a retail bank focused on mortgage lending, which makes up 45% of its loans.
| UK-based bank Standard Chartered said it would spend $3.3bn (£1.8bn) to buy one of South Korea's main retail banks.The move, a year after Citigroup beat Standard Chartered to buy Koram bank, would be the South Korean financial sector's biggest foreign takeover.Standard Chartered said KFB was a "well-managed, conservatively run bank with a highly skilled workforce" and represented a "significant acquisition in a growth market".Some analysts also queried whether Standard Chartered had overpaid for KFB.Standard Chartered said acquiring Korea First Bank (KFB) fulfilled a strategic objective of building a bigger presence in Asia's third largest economy.Standard Chartered expects about 16% of future group revenue to come from KFB.This time around, Standard Chartered is thought to have beaten HSBC to the deal.KFB is South Korea's seventh largest bank, with 3 million retail customers, 6% of the country's banking market and an extensive branch network.Standard Chartered said it was buying 100% of KFB, an agreement that would bring an end to the bank's complex dual ownership.HSBC will now have to wait for the next South Korean bank in line to be sold off - thought likely to be Korea Exchange Bank, also currently in the hands of a US group.Standard Chartered sees "the opportunity to create value by the introduction of more sophisticated banking products".The deal, which requires regulatory approval, is expected to be completed by April 2005 and to be earnings accretive in 2006, Standard Chartered said.Standard Chartered has its headquarters in London but does two thirds of its business in Asia, and much of the rest in Africa. |
1,094 | Police chief backs drinking move
A chief constable has backed the introduction of 24-drinking, saying police had a responsibility to ensure people could benefit from a law change.
However, Norfolk police chief Andy Hayman also warned that a great deal of preparatory work was still needed. "I don't subscribe to the views of some of my colleagues who are coming out and objecting to it," he said. His comments come after the Liberal Democrats backed Tory demands that the government's plans be put on hold. Andy Hayman said he did not agree with politicians and senior police officers who have objected to the plans, which come into force on 7 February. "I feel that is a premature position to be taking," he said. Among those who have criticised the plans are the UK's top policeman Sir John Stevens.
The Metropolitan police chief said last week that the plans for 24-hour drinking should be re-examined because of a binge drinking "epidemic". However, Mr Hayman said: "It would be totally unacceptable in my view for a chief constable to say, 'I'm very sorry'. He said that police should make sure that responsible people who wanted a change could benefit from more liberal legislation. "My view is that I have got a responsibility to create an environment where that can happen, " he said. However, he believes a lot of preparatory work is still needed to be done by police, local authorities and the drinks industry before the nation was ready for 24-hour drinking. But he is confident problems in the early days can be "ironed out". He believed the majority of people favoured this law change and "we have to accept that lifestyles are changing". But aspects such as transport, and basic things such as making sure public toilets are open all night had to be taken into account.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has defended the Licensing Act, saying it is wrong to deny people the relaxed hours enjoyed elsewhere in Europe because of a "tiny minority" of violent binge drinkers. A six-month transitional period starts on 7 February during which time venues can apply for extended licences. The Conservatives have called for 24-hour drinking to be shelved until the problems of binge drinking are solved. On Monday, the Lib Dems also called for a delay. Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "It would clearly be prudent to allow the police and local authorities more time to prepare for flexible drinking hours." Chief constable Mr Hayman acknowledged that binge drinking did cause problems. "If you come to Norwich on a Friday or Saturday night you will see things going on that will you make you feel ashamed. "However, I want industry to succeed in Norwich and I want Norwich to be the recognised nightspot of East Anglia. "There is no way I want to say we cannot manage it or police it. We can."
| The Metropolitan police chief said last week that the plans for 24-hour drinking should be re-examined because of a binge drinking "epidemic".A chief constable has backed the introduction of 24-drinking, saying police had a responsibility to ensure people could benefit from a law change.He said that police should make sure that responsible people who wanted a change could benefit from more liberal legislation.However, Mr Hayman said: "It would be totally unacceptable in my view for a chief constable to say, 'I'm very sorry'.Andy Hayman said he did not agree with politicians and senior police officers who have objected to the plans, which come into force on 7 February.The Conservatives have called for 24-hour drinking to be shelved until the problems of binge drinking are solved.Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "It would clearly be prudent to allow the police and local authorities more time to prepare for flexible drinking hours."However, he believes a lot of preparatory work is still needed to be done by police, local authorities and the drinks industry before the nation was ready for 24-hour drinking.Chief constable Mr Hayman acknowledged that binge drinking did cause problems.However, Norfolk police chief Andy Hayman also warned that a great deal of preparatory work was still needed. |
337 | Building giant in asbestos payout
Australian building products group James Hardie has agreed to pay $1.1bn (£568m) to victims of asbestos-related diseases.
The landmark deal could see thousands of people suffering from lung diseases - caused by asbestos the company once made - receive compensation. The move follows angry protests after the firm said a previous compensation fund was running out of money. A subsequent New South Wales state inquiry criticised Hardie's actions. In September, the inquiry found that the company had misled the public about the amount of money set aside to cover its asbestos-related liabilities, sparking the resignation of its then chief executive, Peter MacDonald.
Campaigners welcomed news of the preliminary agreement. "This is a momentous day in the fight for victims and their families," said asbestosis sufferer Bernie Banton, who leads a victims' association. "There is still a long way to go, but we are getting there." James Hardie chairwoman, Meredith Hellicar, said the deal provided for a funding arrangement "that is affordable, sensible and workable". "At the end of the day we are dealing with compensation for people who are terminally ill. We don't know exactly how many of them there will be, we don't know over what exact period they will fall ill," she said. However, the deal still has to receive the approval of Hardie's shareholders.
Hardie, which currently makes more than 80% of its revenues in the US, was once Australia's biggest supplier of asbestos building materials. In 2001, the company set up a fund to compensate asbestos victims, but it later admitted the fund was running short of money. A decision by Hardie to move its headquarters to the Netherlands - while remaining a listed company in Australia - provoked a damaging public outcry. Victims groups accusing it of trying to escape its responsibilities by moving abroad, a charge the company denies. Australia's securities watchdog is currently investigating Hardie's former chief executive and former chief financial officer over allegations of misleading investors and the general public.
| In 2001, the company set up a fund to compensate asbestos victims, but it later admitted the fund was running short of money.The move follows angry protests after the firm said a previous compensation fund was running out of money.The landmark deal could see thousands of people suffering from lung diseases - caused by asbestos the company once made - receive compensation.However, the deal still has to receive the approval of Hardie's shareholders.In September, the inquiry found that the company had misled the public about the amount of money set aside to cover its asbestos-related liabilities, sparking the resignation of its then chief executive, Peter MacDonald.Hardie, which currently makes more than 80% of its revenues in the US, was once Australia's biggest supplier of asbestos building materials.Australian building products group James Hardie has agreed to pay $1.1bn (£568m) to victims of asbestos-related diseases. |
143 | Weak dollar trims Cadbury profits
The world's biggest confectionery firm, Cadbury Schweppes, has reported a modest rise in profits after the weak dollar took a bite out of its results.
Underlying pre-tax profits rose 1% to £933m ($1.78bn) in 2004, but would have been 8% higher if currency movements were stripped out. The owner of brands such as Dairy Milk, Dr Pepper and Snapple generates more than 80% of its sales outside the UK. Cadbury said it was confident it would hit its targets for 2005. "While the external commercial environment remains competitive, we are confident that we have the strategy, brands and people to deliver within our goal ranges in 2005," said chief executive Todd Stitzer.
The modest profit rise had been expected by analysts after the company said in December that the poor summer weather had hit soft drink sales in Europe.
Cadbury said its underlying sales were up by 4% in 2004. Growth was helped by its confectionery brands - including Cadbury, Trident and Halls - which enjoyed a "successful" year, with like-for-like sales up 6%. Drinks sales were up 2% with strong growth in US carbonated soft drinks, led by Dr Pepper and diet drinks, offset by the weaker sales in Europe. Cadbury added that its Fuel for Growth cost-cutting programme had saved £75m in 2004, bringing total cost savings to £100m since the scheme began in mid-2003. The programme is set to close 20% of the group's factories and shed 10% of the workforce. Cadbury Schweppes employs more than 50,000 people worldwide, with about 7,000 in the UK.
| Cadbury said its underlying sales were up by 4% in 2004.Cadbury said it was confident it would hit its targets for 2005.Growth was helped by its confectionery brands - including Cadbury, Trident and Halls - which enjoyed a "successful" year, with like-for-like sales up 6%.The modest profit rise had been expected by analysts after the company said in December that the poor summer weather had hit soft drink sales in Europe.Cadbury Schweppes employs more than 50,000 people worldwide, with about 7,000 in the UK. |
85 | Home loan approvals rising again
The number of mortgages approved in the UK has risen for the first time since May last year, according to lending figures from the Bank of England.
New loans in December rose to 83,000, slightly higher than November's nine-year low of 77,000. Mortgage lending rose by £7.1bn in December, up from a £6.4bn rise in November. The figures contradict a survey from the British Bankers' Association, which said approvals were at a five-year low.
Analysts say the figures show the market may be stabilising but still point to further house price softness. "The modest rise in mortgage approvals and lending in December reinforces the impression that the housing market is currently slowing steadily rather than sharply," said Global Insight analyst Howard Archer, commenting on the BoE's figures. The BBA believes that the property market is continuing to cool down. Changes to mortgage regulation may have artificially depressed figures in November, thus flattering the December figures, analysts said. In October last year, new rules came into force, which meant some lenders were forced to withdraw mortgage products temporarily in November and defer some lending until they had made sure they had complied with the rules properly. Separately, the Bank of England said that consumer credit rose by £1.5bn in December, more than the £1.4bn expected and above the £1.4bn reported in the previous month.
| Mortgage lending rose by £7.1bn in December, up from a £6.4bn rise in November.Changes to mortgage regulation may have artificially depressed figures in November, thus flattering the December figures, analysts said."The modest rise in mortgage approvals and lending in December reinforces the impression that the housing market is currently slowing steadily rather than sharply," said Global Insight analyst Howard Archer, commenting on the BoE's figures.Separately, the Bank of England said that consumer credit rose by £1.5bn in December, more than the £1.4bn expected and above the £1.4bn reported in the previous month. |
1,673 | Player burn-out worries Robinson
England coach Andy Robinson says English rugby has to act now to prevent injury destroying players' careers.
He will be without a host of big names for the Six Nations as the intensity of professional rugby union hits players. "Injuries are part of the sport but we have to have a look at the amount of injuries that occur in the English season," Robinson told BBC Sport. "I think players are probably going to have three or four years taken off their careers." Robinson will be missing an entire midfield for the Six Nations with the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Will Greenwood injured.
Rugby union has become far more physically demanding since the game went professional nearly 10 years ago. As a result three of the major stakeholders in English rugby have launched an "injury audit" to find out how players are coping. The audit is jointly funded by the Professional Rugby Players' Association, the Rugby Football Union and Premier Rugby. As far as Robinson is concerned its findings must not be ignored. "I think there's an injury audit coming out in March that's got some great information in there that I think everybody in the English game has got to look at," he said. "If we don't the situation is going to get worse and not better, so I think rugby as a whole has got to look at this."
| England coach Andy Robinson says English rugby has to act now to prevent injury destroying players' careers.The audit is jointly funded by the Professional Rugby Players' Association, the Rugby Football Union and Premier Rugby."If we don't the situation is going to get worse and not better, so I think rugby as a whole has got to look at this."As a result three of the major stakeholders in English rugby have launched an "injury audit" to find out how players are coping.Rugby union has become far more physically demanding since the game went professional nearly 10 years ago. |
1,704 | Healey targets England comeback
Leicester wing Austin Healey hopes to use Sunday's return Heineken Cup clash with Wasps as a further springboard to an England recall for the Six Nations.
Healey, who won 51 caps prior to the 2003 World Cup, has been in good form in the Tigers' resurgence this season. "I definitely still have ambitions to play for England," Healey told the BBC. "We will have to see what happens after the previous (autumn) Tests but when I look at the current squad I definitely feel there is a place there for me." Healey, who has also played both half-back positions and full-back during his career, has reverted to the wing, where he won most of his England caps. After recovering from a trapped nerve in his back sustained at the end of September, the 31-year-old is relishing his role in the Tigers revival. "I had six weeks out but fortunately I have resumed the sort of form I had before," he said.
"I am basically playing where it best suits Leicester. Obviously I can play scrum-half, fly-half or full-back at a moment's notice. "But playing on the wing actually gives me a bigger free role to come in where I am not expected and influence things." That has been apparent in parts one and two of the Wasps-Leicester trilogy in recent weeks. First, Healey came off his flank with an angled run to score an injury-time try that earned the Tigers a 17-17 draw in their Premiership meeting on 21 November. Then, in the first of their Heineken cup double header last Sunday, Healey slotted in at stand-off and delivered a superb cross-kick for Martin Corry to score the Tigers' third try. "I caught 'Cozza's' eye a couple of phases before that and was hoping to get it to him on the full, but fortunately even with the bounce he managed to score," Healey recalled.
Healey, twice a Heineken Cup winner, believes last Sunday's match was "up there" with some of the biggest club contests he has played in. "It was a very intense occasion and a very destructive game," he recalled. "There was not a huge amount of rugby played but it was a great game to be involved in. "After about 15 minutes I thought we might stride away with it but Wasps really came back into it and in the last couple of minutes it could have gone either way."
The same outcome this Sunday would put Leicester in pole position to top their Heineken pool with a home game against Biarritz and away trip to Calvisano to come. But Healey insists the Tigers must summon the same desire if they are to deliver the knockout blow in what has been dubbed "rugby's version of Rocky II". "There was a lot of satisfaction in the dressing room aftewards but it is really only a case of a job half done," he added. "It was the first of a two-leg trip and if we lose at Welford Road it will negate all the positives we can take from result. "I think it came down to who wanted it more and in the end I think we did. We have got to show the same desire again this week."
| Healey, twice a Heineken Cup winner, believes last Sunday's match was "up there" with some of the biggest club contests he has played in.Healey, who has also played both half-back positions and full-back during his career, has reverted to the wing, where he won most of his England caps.Healey, who won 51 caps prior to the 2003 World Cup, has been in good form in the Tigers' resurgence this season.Leicester wing Austin Healey hopes to use Sunday's return Heineken Cup clash with Wasps as a further springboard to an England recall for the Six Nations.Then, in the first of their Heineken cup double header last Sunday, Healey slotted in at stand-off and delivered a superb cross-kick for Martin Corry to score the Tigers' third try."I caught 'Cozza's' eye a couple of phases before that and was hoping to get it to him on the full, but fortunately even with the bounce he managed to score," Healey recalled.But Healey insists the Tigers must summon the same desire if they are to deliver the knockout blow in what has been dubbed "rugby's version of Rocky II".First, Healey came off his flank with an angled run to score an injury-time try that earned the Tigers a 17-17 draw in their Premiership meeting on 21 November."I definitely still have ambitions to play for England," Healey told the BBC."There was not a huge amount of rugby played but it was a great game to be involved in. |
2,072 | Apple sues to stop product leaks
Computer firm Apple has issued a lawsuit to prevent online leaks of information about future products.
The lawsuit, against an unidentified individual, comes just weeks before the MacWorld conference in San Francisco, used to showcase new products. The complaint said an "unidentified individual... has recently misappropriated and disseminated confidential information". The lawsuit was filed with the Santa Clara California Superior Court. Apple is famously secretive about its future product launches while Apple users are equally famous for speculating about new technology from the company. Fans have speculated in recent weeks about the possibility of a new type of iPod being announced at the MacWorld conference.
Apple said in the seven-page complaint, filed on 13 December, that it did not know the "true names or capacities, whether individual, associate, corporate or otherwise," of the defendants. The company said it would amend the complaint once they had discovered the names of those who had allegedly leaked information. It is not the first time Apple has sued people who have posted information about future products on the internet. In December 2002, Apple sued a former contractor who allegedly posted online drawings, images and engineering details of the company's PowerMac G4 computer. In a statement, Apple said of the current lawsuit: "Apple has filed a civil complaint against unnamed individuals who we believe stole our trade secrets and posted detailed information about an unannounced Apple product on the internet."
| In a statement, Apple said of the current lawsuit: "Apple has filed a civil complaint against unnamed individuals who we believe stole our trade secrets and posted detailed information about an unannounced Apple product on the internet."Computer firm Apple has issued a lawsuit to prevent online leaks of information about future products.It is not the first time Apple has sued people who have posted information about future products on the internet.The complaint said an "unidentified individual... has recently misappropriated and disseminated confidential information".Apple said in the seven-page complaint, filed on 13 December, that it did not know the "true names or capacities, whether individual, associate, corporate or otherwise," of the defendants. |
196 | Worldcom director ends evidence
The former chief financial officer at US telecoms firm WorldCom has finished giving evidence at the trial of his ex-boss Bernie Ebbers.
Scott Sullivan admitted to jurors he was willing to commit fraud to meet Wall Street earnings projections. Mr Ebbers is on trial for fraud and conspiracy in relation to WorldCom's collapse in 2002. He pleads not guilty. Mr Sullivan has spent two days being cross-examined by lawyers for former Worldcom chief executive Mr Ebbers.
Attorney Reid Weingarten has attempted to portray Mr Sullivan as a liar and on Thursday quizzed him about his decision to commit fraud to meet analysts' profit estimates. "At that point in time," Mr Sullivan said, referring to the first false entries in late 2000, "I knew it was wrong and I knew it was against the law, but I thought we would get through it in the short term." Mr Sullivan, 42, has already pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced following Mr Ebbers' trial, where he is appearing as a prosecution witness. Mr Ebbers, 63, has always insisted that he was unaware of any hidden shortfalls in WorldCom's finances. The former finance officer said Mr Ebbers knew about the improper accounting entries that were made between 2000 and 2002 to conceal soaring expenses and inflate revenue.
Mr Ebbers could face a sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. WorldCom's problems appear to have begun with the collapse of the dotcom boom which cut its business from internet companies. Prosecutors allege that the company's top executives responded by orchestrating massive fraud over a two-year period. WorldCom emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004, and is now known as MCI. On Monday, MCI agreed to a buyout by Verizon Communications in a deal valued at $6.75bn.
| Mr Sullivan, 42, has already pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced following Mr Ebbers' trial, where he is appearing as a prosecution witness.Mr Sullivan has spent two days being cross-examined by lawyers for former Worldcom chief executive Mr Ebbers.Mr Ebbers is on trial for fraud and conspiracy in relation to WorldCom's collapse in 2002.Mr Ebbers, 63, has always insisted that he was unaware of any hidden shortfalls in WorldCom's finances.Attorney Reid Weingarten has attempted to portray Mr Sullivan as a liar and on Thursday quizzed him about his decision to commit fraud to meet analysts' profit estimates.The former finance officer said Mr Ebbers knew about the improper accounting entries that were made between 2000 and 2002 to conceal soaring expenses and inflate revenue. |
2,208 | China 'ripe' for media explosion
Asia is set to drive global media growth to 2008 and beyond, with China and India filling the two top spots, analysts have predicted.
Japan, South Korea and Singapore will also be strong players, but China's demographics give it the edge, a media conference in London heard. The world's most populous country - population 1.3bn - now has about 200 million middle-class consumers. Forty per cent fall in the key 16 to 35-year-old demographic. As a result, it is attracting huge foreign investment in media and communications, analysts told the Financial Times New Media and Broadcasting Conference last week. Interest in China among international media groups has surged in recent months after Beijing issued rules allowing foreign investment in joint-venture television, radio and film production companies. News Corporation, Viacom and Sony Pictures are among the big names involved in joint ventures with Chinese players.
More than 700 million Chinese listen to 1,000 radio stations, while 200 TV stations broadcast 2,900 channels. China Central Television (CCTV), the state broadcaster, claims an audience of more than a billion people. Of the country's 360 million households, 100 million receive cable TV programmes. The rest could be a potential audience for satellite broadcasting which China plans to launch in 2006. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which regulates broadcasting, plans to move all programmes to digital by 2015. The continuing roll-out of new digital channels has boosted demand for quality content, creating significant opportunities for both Chinese and foreign content providers.
But according to recent reports from China, the authorities have tightened controls over foreign investment in TV production joint ventures. It has limited most foreign companies to only one joint venture and banned the involvement of any found to be "unfriendly", according to reports. The SARFT said: "There is a very strong ideological component to production of broadcast television programmes." It added: "China must understand the political tendencies and background of overseas partners and prevent joint ventures or cooperation from bringing harmful foreign thinking or culture into our production sector." According to the Financial Times' China correspondent, the new rules highlight the political sensitivities that surround foreign involvement in China's media sector. This is despite Beijing's decision to open the state-dominated sector to international investment.
As well as traditional broadcasting, Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs alike see fortunes waiting to be made in new media, like mobile services and online gaming. Mobile games already account for 15% of revenues from China's 340 million mobile users.
Online gaming sales are predicted to top a billion US dollars next year, according to the UK-based journal Screen Digest. The video market is also seen as a big opportunity, although piracy levels are still very high despite an anti-piracy drive during the past year. In the cinema industry the deployment of digital screens is being accelerated. This is not just to modernise venues but also to curb piracy and regulate distribution. Li Ruigang, president of the commercial broadcaster Shanghai Media Group, told the conference that China's new media market "is already experiencing explosive growth". It was particularly strong in charged broadband services and mobile value-added services. Leading China-watcher, and founder of the CGA consultancy Jeanne-Marie Gescher, agreed that the time was ripe for foreign media groups to tap China's huge media market potential. "China's media are now driven by investors who do not care how people consume media - they just want people to consume more of it," Mrs Gescher concluded.
| According to the Financial Times' China correspondent, the new rules highlight the political sensitivities that surround foreign involvement in China's media sector.Interest in China among international media groups has surged in recent months after Beijing issued rules allowing foreign investment in joint-venture television, radio and film production companies.As a result, it is attracting huge foreign investment in media and communications, analysts told the Financial Times New Media and Broadcasting Conference last week.But according to recent reports from China, the authorities have tightened controls over foreign investment in TV production joint ventures.Leading China-watcher, and founder of the CGA consultancy Jeanne-Marie Gescher, agreed that the time was ripe for foreign media groups to tap China's huge media market potential.Japan, South Korea and Singapore will also be strong players, but China's demographics give it the edge, a media conference in London heard.Li Ruigang, president of the commercial broadcaster Shanghai Media Group, told the conference that China's new media market "is already experiencing explosive growth".As well as traditional broadcasting, Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs alike see fortunes waiting to be made in new media, like mobile services and online gaming.It added: "China must understand the political tendencies and background of overseas partners and prevent joint ventures or cooperation from bringing harmful foreign thinking or culture into our production sector."It has limited most foreign companies to only one joint venture and banned the involvement of any found to be "unfriendly", according to reports.The continuing roll-out of new digital channels has boosted demand for quality content, creating significant opportunities for both Chinese and foreign content providers."China's media are now driven by investors who do not care how people consume media - they just want people to consume more of it," Mrs Gescher concluded. |
1,734 | Henman overcomes rival Rusedski
Tim Henman saved a match point before fighting back to defeat British rival Greg Rusedski 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday.
World number 46 Rusedski broke in the ninth game to take a tight opening set. Rusedski had match point at 6-5 in the second set tie-break after Henman double-faulted, but missed his chance and Henman rallied to clinch the set. The British number one then showed his superior strength to take the decider and earn his sixth win over Rusedski. Serve was held by both players with few alarms until the seventh game of the final set, when Rusedski's wild volley gave Henman a vital break. A furious Rusedski slammed his racket onto the ground in disgust and was warned by the umpire.
Henman, seeded three, then held his serve comfortably thanks to four serve-and-volley winners to take a clear 5-3 lead. Rusedski won his service game but Henman took the first of his three match points with a service winner to secure his place in the second round at Dubai for the first time in three years. It was the first match between the pair for three years - Henman last lost to Rusedski six years ago - and lasted two hours and 40 minutes. The pair are now likely to only face each other on court as rivals - rather than as team-mates - after Henman decided to retire from Davis Cup tennis leaving Rusedski to lead the team out against Israel on 4-6 March. Henman, who now faces Russian Igor Andreev in the last 16, admitted afterwards it was difficult coming up against his compatriot on a fast surface. "You just take it point by point when you're fighting to stay in the match," he said. "I had to keep playing aggressively and competing to get a chance. "I now have to recover in time for the next match because the body doesn't recover as quick as it used to, especially after two hours and 40 minutes."
| Rusedski had match point at 6-5 in the second set tie-break after Henman double-faulted, but missed his chance and Henman rallied to clinch the set.It was the first match between the pair for three years - Henman last lost to Rusedski six years ago - and lasted two hours and 40 minutes.Tim Henman saved a match point before fighting back to defeat British rival Greg Rusedski 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday.Rusedski won his service game but Henman took the first of his three match points with a service winner to secure his place in the second round at Dubai for the first time in three years.World number 46 Rusedski broke in the ninth game to take a tight opening set.Henman, seeded three, then held his serve comfortably thanks to four serve-and-volley winners to take a clear 5-3 lead. |
1,001 | Muslim police stops 'more likely'
UK Muslims should accept that people of Islamic appearance are more likely to be stopped and searched by police, a Home Office minister has said.
Hazel Blears said innocent Muslims would be targeted because of the search for Islamic extremists. Qualifications for religious leaders to enter the UK could also be made tougher, she told a Commons inquiry. Her comments have been described as "irresponsible" and "outrageous" by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC).
"The threat is most likely to come from those people associated with an extreme form of Islam, or who are falsely hiding behind Islam," the Salford MP told the Commons home affairs committee.
"It means that some of our counter-terrorism powers will be disproportionately experienced by the Muslim community." It was a reality that should be recognised, she said. "If a threat is from a particular place then our action is going to be targeted at that area," she added. On ministers of religions, such as imams, she said faith groups would be asked what other qualifications and skills, such as civic knowledge and ability to engage the community, should be demanded. Last year, ministers introduced a requirement that ministers should speak English to a certain level.
IHRC chairman Massoud Shadjareh accused Ms Blears of "playing an Islamophobia card" in the run-up to a general election.
"She is demonising and alienating our community," he said. "It is a legitimisation for a backlash and for racists to have an onslaught on our community. "This sort of comment is just music to the ears of racists." Later, the prime minister's official spokesman urged people to put Ms Blears' comments into context. The minister had been saying she understood there was a perception that stop and search was aimed at one community, but that was not what was happening, the spokesman said.
"What is happening is that those powers are aimed at those who are suspected of carrying out or planning certain activity who happen to come from one community. "It is not aimed at a particular community, it is not police policy to aim these powers at a particular community," he added. Statistics showed that of the 17 people found guilty of terrorist acts in the UK since the 11 September attacks, only four of the 12 whose ethnic backgrounds were known were Muslim, he added Figures published last week showed that people from ethnic minorities were increasingly likely to be targeted by police stop and search tactics.
Figures showed that, for 2003/2004, Asians were 1.9 times more likely to be stopped and searched, compared with 1.7 times more likely in the previous year. Separate figures on police searches in England and Wales carried out under the Terrorism Act 2000 showed that ethnic minorities were more likely to be targeted. Muslim groups have repeatedly claimed that their communities are being victimised under terror laws. In 2003/2004, 12.5% searches under the laws were on Asian people, even though they make up 4.7% of the population. Last July, the police were accused of Islamophobia by Muslim groups after stop and search figures showed the numbers of Asians targeted had risen by 300% since the introduction of anti-terror laws.
| UK Muslims should accept that people of Islamic appearance are more likely to be stopped and searched by police, a Home Office minister has said.Statistics showed that of the 17 people found guilty of terrorist acts in the UK since the 11 September attacks, only four of the 12 whose ethnic backgrounds were known were Muslim, he added Figures published last week showed that people from ethnic minorities were increasingly likely to be targeted by police stop and search tactics."It is not aimed at a particular community, it is not police policy to aim these powers at a particular community," he added.The minister had been saying she understood there was a perception that stop and search was aimed at one community, but that was not what was happening, the spokesman said.Last July, the police were accused of Islamophobia by Muslim groups after stop and search figures showed the numbers of Asians targeted had risen by 300% since the introduction of anti-terror laws."She is demonising and alienating our community," he said.Hazel Blears said innocent Muslims would be targeted because of the search for Islamic extremists.Separate figures on police searches in England and Wales carried out under the Terrorism Act 2000 showed that ethnic minorities were more likely to be targeted.On ministers of religions, such as imams, she said faith groups would be asked what other qualifications and skills, such as civic knowledge and ability to engage the community, should be demanded."It means that some of our counter-terrorism powers will be disproportionately experienced by the Muslim community." |
524 | Adventure tale tops awards
Young book fans have voted Fergus Crane, a story about a boy who is taken on an adventure by a flying horse, the winner of two Smarties Book Prizes.
Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell's book came top in the category for six- to eight-year-olds and won the award chosen by after-school club members. Sally Grindley's Spilled Water, about a Chinese girl sold as a servant, was top in vote of readers aged nine to 11. Biscuit Bear by Mini Grey took the top award in the under-five category. Winners were voted for by about 6,000 children from a shortlist picked by an adult panel.
The prize, which is celebrating its 20th year, is billed as "the UK's biggest children's book award". Fergus Crane includes text by Stewart and illustrations by Riddell, who also created The Edge Chronicles together. As well as the six to eights prize, it won the 4Children Special Award voted for by after-school club members. Julia Eccleshare, chair of the adult judging panel, said children's literature had "never looked stronger" in the prize's 20 years. "This award counts because the final choice of winners is made by children, who are the toughest critics of all," she said. "This year's young judges chose the winners from an exceptionally strong and varied shortlist which showcases the very best in children's books today." Previous winners have included JK Rowling, Jacqueline Wilson and Dick King-Smith.
| Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell's book came top in the category for six- to eight-year-olds and won the award chosen by after-school club members.Young book fans have voted Fergus Crane, a story about a boy who is taken on an adventure by a flying horse, the winner of two Smarties Book Prizes.As well as the six to eights prize, it won the 4Children Special Award voted for by after-school club members.The prize, which is celebrating its 20th year, is billed as "the UK's biggest children's book award"."This year's young judges chose the winners from an exceptionally strong and varied shortlist which showcases the very best in children's books today." |
1,738 | Federer claims Dubai crown
World number one Roger Federer added the Dubai Championship trophy to his long list of successes - but not before he was given a test by Ivan Ljubicic.
Top seed Federer looked to be on course for a easy victory when he thumped the eighth seed 6-1 in the first set. But Ljubicic, who beat Tim Henman in the last eight, dug deep to secure the second set after a tense tiebreak. Swiss star Federer was not about to lose his cool, though, turning on the style to win the deciding set 6-3. The match was a re-run of last week's final at the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam, where Federer triumphed, but not until Ljubicic had stretched him for five sets. "I really wanted to get off to a good start this time, and I did, and I could really play with confidence while he still looking for his rhythm," Federer said.
"That took me all the way through to 6-1 3-1 0-30 on his serve and I almost ran away with it. But he came back, and that was a good effort on his side." Ljubicic was at a loss to explain his poor showing in the first set. "I didn't start badly, but then suddenly I felt like my racket was loose and the balls were flying a little bit too much. And with Roger, if you relax for a second it just goes very quick," he said. "After those first three games it was no match at all. I don't know, it was really weird. I was playing really well the whole year, and then suddenly I found myself in trouble just to put the ball in the court." But despite his defeat, the world number 14 was pleased with his overall performance. "I had a chance in the third, and for me it's really positive to twice in two weeks have a chance against Roger to win the match. "It's an absolutely great boost to my confidence that I'm up there and belong with top-class players."
| Ljubicic was at a loss to explain his poor showing in the first set."After those first three games it was no match at all.I don't know, it was really weird.The match was a re-run of last week's final at the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam, where Federer triumphed, but not until Ljubicic had stretched him for five sets.World number one Roger Federer added the Dubai Championship trophy to his long list of successes - but not before he was given a test by Ivan Ljubicic.Swiss star Federer was not about to lose his cool, though, turning on the style to win the deciding set 6-3.I was playing really well the whole year, and then suddenly I found myself in trouble just to put the ball in the court." |
2,028 | British Library gets wireless net
Visitors to the British Library will be able to get wireless internet access alongside the extensive information available in its famous reading rooms.
Broadband wireless connectivity will be made available in the eleven reading rooms, the auditorium, café, restaurant, and outdoor Piazza area. A study revealed that 86% of visitors to the Library carried laptops. The technology has been on trial since May and usage levels make the Library London's most active public hotspot.
Previously many were leaving the building to go to a nearby internet café to access their e-mail, the study found. "At the British Library we are continually exploring ways in which technology can help us to improve services to our users," said Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library. "Surveys we conducted recently confirmed that, alongside the materials they consult here, our users want to be able to access the internet when they are at the Library for research or to communicate with colleagues," she said. The service will be priced at £4.50 for an hour's session or £35 for a monthly pass. The study, conducted by consultancy Building Zones, found that 16% of visitors came to the Library to sit down and use it as a business centre. This could be because of its proximity to busy mainline stations such as Kings Cross and Euston. The study also found that people were spending an average of six hours in the building, making it an ideal wireless hotspot. Since May the service has registered 1,200 sessions per week, making it London's most active public hotspot. The majority of visitors wanted to be able to access their e-mail as well as the British Library catalogue. The service has been rolled out in partnership with wireless provider The Cloud and Hewlett Packard.
It will operate independently from the Library's existing network. The British Library receives around 3,000 visitors each day and serves around 500,000 readers each year. People come to view resources which include the world's largest collection of patents and the UK's most extensive collection of science, technology and medical information. The Library receives between three and four million requests from remote users around the world each year.
| "At the British Library we are continually exploring ways in which technology can help us to improve services to our users," said Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library.The majority of visitors wanted to be able to access their e-mail as well as the British Library catalogue.Visitors to the British Library will be able to get wireless internet access alongside the extensive information available in its famous reading rooms.The technology has been on trial since May and usage levels make the Library London's most active public hotspot.The British Library receives around 3,000 visitors each day and serves around 500,000 readers each year.A study revealed that 86% of visitors to the Library carried laptops.The study, conducted by consultancy Building Zones, found that 16% of visitors came to the Library to sit down and use it as a business centre. |
1,317 | IAAF launches fight against drugs
The IAAF - athletics' world governing body - has met anti-doping officials, coaches and athletes to co-ordinate the fight against drugs in sport.
Two task forces have been set up to examine doping and nutrition issues. It was also agreed that a programme to "de-mystify" the issue to athletes, the public and the media was a priority. "Nothing was decided to change things - it was more to have a forum of the stakeholders allowing them to express themselves," said an IAAF spokesman. "Getting everyone together gave us a lot of food for thought." About 60 people attended Sunday's meeting in Monaco, including IAAF chief Lamine Diack and Namibian athlete Frankie Fredericks, now a member of the Athletes' Commission. "I am very happy to see you all, members of the athletics family, respond positively to the IAAF call to sit together and discuss what more we can do in the fight against doping," said Diack. "We are the leading Federation in this field and it is our duty to keep our sport clean." The two task forces will report back to the IAAF Council, at its April meeting in Qatar.
| "I am very happy to see you all, members of the athletics family, respond positively to the IAAF call to sit together and discuss what more we can do in the fight against doping," said Diack.The two task forces will report back to the IAAF Council, at its April meeting in Qatar."Nothing was decided to change things - it was more to have a forum of the stakeholders allowing them to express themselves," said an IAAF spokesman.The IAAF - athletics' world governing body - has met anti-doping officials, coaches and athletes to co-ordinate the fight against drugs in sport. |
2,212 | Camera phones are 'must-haves'
Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner.
Globally, the number sold will reach 159 million, an increase of 104%. The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. Improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly "must-have" buy. In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. Japan still dominates mobile phone technology, and the uptake there is huge. By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them.
Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). This has changed in the last 18 months. Handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages.
Mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. These have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites, or mobile blogs - moblogs. But the report suggests that until image quality increases more, people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. Some handsets already feature limited zoom capability, and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions, like nightclubs. Other developments include wide-angle modes, basic editing features, and better sensors and processors for recording film clips.
Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. An exhibition next month in aid of the charity Mencap, will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists.
The exhibition, Fonetography, will feature images taken by photographers David Bailey, Rankin and Nan Goldin, and artists Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Jack Vettriano. But some uses for them have worried many organisations. Intel, Samsung, the UK's Foreign Office and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the US, have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. Many schools, fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. Italy's information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers' profits. According to recent figures, Sony Ericsson's profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. Over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to September featured integrated cameras, it said.
| The report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008.Image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving.By 2008, according to Gartner, 95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them.But in Japan and Asia Pacific, where camera phone technology is much more advanced, mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images.The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels.But camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers' profits.In Europe, cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images.Four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in Europe by the end of 2004 than last year, says a report from analysts Gartner.Images from camera phones have even made it into the art world.But a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras.Camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them, as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services).Consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality, and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera.Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, they have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages. |
645 | Vibe awards back despite violence
The US Vibe awards will be held again next year despite a stabbing which happened during the ceremony.
Vibe magazine president Kenard Gibbs said the attack earlier this month in Santa Monica was "sickening". He said not holding the awards would be counter to the work the magazine has done to promote hip hop music. Rapper Young Buck has been charged after allegedly stabbing a man who hit Dr Dre as he was about to receive a lifetime achievement award.
The rapper, whose real name is David Darnell Brown, is due in court on 20 December after being arrested on one charge of attempted murder and a second charge of assault with a deadly weapon. The performer is one of the members of 50 Cent's G-Unit group, which is signed to Dr Dre's record label. The man who was stabbed, Jimmy James Johnson, suffered a collapsed lung and is in a stable condition at a Los Angeles hospital. Mr Johnson allegedly approached Dr Dre, who was seated at a table in front of the stage, and appeared to ask for an autograph before punching him. During the ensuing scuffle - which involved many of the 1,000-strong crowd - Mr Johnson was stabbed as he was being dragged away by security staff,
| Rapper Young Buck has been charged after allegedly stabbing a man who hit Dr Dre as he was about to receive a lifetime achievement award.Mr Johnson allegedly approached Dr Dre, who was seated at a table in front of the stage, and appeared to ask for an autograph before punching him.During the ensuing scuffle - which involved many of the 1,000-strong crowd - Mr Johnson was stabbed as he was being dragged away by security staff,Vibe magazine president Kenard Gibbs said the attack earlier this month in Santa Monica was "sickening". |
595 | Church anger over Bollywood film
Roman Catholic organisations in India have demanded the withdrawal of a film that depicts a priest having an affair with a girl half his age.
Indian television channels are now refusing to run the promotional material for the film, Sins, ahead of its release on Friday. The director of the film, Vinod Pande, says the movie is not offensive and has refused to withdraw it. Catholics are planning a protest in Mumbai (Bombay) on Wednesday. The president of one of Mumbai's main Catholic organisations, Dolphy D'Souza, says the portrayal of an ordained priest as a man of loose moral character has hurt the religious sentiments of India's Catholic community.
He called the film "pornographic and sensational". Mr D'Souza, who is also the vice-president of the Catholics' national body, has accused the director of the film of portraying a priest in bad light for commercial gains. Catholics have urged Mr Pande to withdraw the film to show respect to the Christian community's hurt sentiments. "Religion needs to be a personal affair and should not be a subject for entertainment or for commercial use," Joseph Dias, general secretary of the Catholic Secular Forum, said in a statement.
But Mr Pande said that if the critics were to see the film they would not protest against it and would not insist on its withdrawal. He says he has no plans to cancel the film ahead of its scheduled screening on Friday.
"It's about forbidden love. There was no agenda whatsoever to hurt anyone," he said. The BBC's Zubair Ahmed in Mumbai says that the controversial film shows a priest in steamy scenes with a girl half his age. She apparently goes to him for help but he falls in love with her. It takes place in the picturesque southern Indian state of Kerala. The film has already been cleared by the Censor Board with an 'A' (adults only) certificate. Mr D'Souza says he is shocked at the Censor Board's decision to clear the film. Our correspondent says that India's TV channels have so far refused to be dragged into the controversy and have not screened the film's promotional material. Most of the Catholic community's anger has come after watching newspaper advertisements and hoardings of the film. Christians make up about two per cent of India's population of more than a billion people.
| The director of the film, Vinod Pande, says the movie is not offensive and has refused to withdraw it.He says he has no plans to cancel the film ahead of its scheduled screening on Friday.Mr D'Souza says he is shocked at the Censor Board's decision to clear the film.Catholics have urged Mr Pande to withdraw the film to show respect to the Christian community's hurt sentiments.Mr D'Souza, who is also the vice-president of the Catholics' national body, has accused the director of the film of portraying a priest in bad light for commercial gains.The BBC's Zubair Ahmed in Mumbai says that the controversial film shows a priest in steamy scenes with a girl half his age.Most of the Catholic community's anger has come after watching newspaper advertisements and hoardings of the film.Roman Catholic organisations in India have demanded the withdrawal of a film that depicts a priest having an affair with a girl half his age.But Mr Pande said that if the critics were to see the film they would not protest against it and would not insist on its withdrawal. |
53 | Weak dollar hits Reuters
Revenues at media group Reuters slipped 11% during 2004, mainly due to the weakness of the dollar, the group said.
The company said it was optimistic about growth even as revenues slipped 11% from £3.24bn ($6.13bn) in 2003 to £2.89bn in 2004. Reuters beat profit forecasts, posting a 52% rise in profits for the year to £198m from the £130m seen a year earlier. Reuters also beat its savings target for 2004, delivering £234m of cuts. Under its three-year Fast Forward turnaround plan it had aimed to save £220m during the 12 months to 31 December.
Reuters also managed to slow a decline in underlying revenues to 5.4% from 10.2% in 2003 and cut its debt back to £160m from £610m a year earlier. The news and financial data seller said the year had begun well, adding it expected "further gradual improvement" in the second quarter of the year after good January sales. It added it was planning to deliver a further £105m of savings over the coming year - but said it expects to be hit with an £80m restructuring charge to pay for the cost of moving from Fleet Street to new headquarters in London at Canary Wharf. "Improving customer relationships, more competitive products and continued strong cost discipline position us well for 2005," chief executive Tom Glocer said, adding the company was beginning "to look beyond recovery to growth".
| Reuters beat profit forecasts, posting a 52% rise in profits for the year to £198m from the £130m seen a year earlier.Reuters also managed to slow a decline in underlying revenues to 5.4% from 10.2% in 2003 and cut its debt back to £160m from £610m a year earlier.The news and financial data seller said the year had begun well, adding it expected "further gradual improvement" in the second quarter of the year after good January sales.It added it was planning to deliver a further £105m of savings over the coming year - but said it expects to be hit with an £80m restructuring charge to pay for the cost of moving from Fleet Street to new headquarters in London at Canary Wharf. |
669 | Band Aid 20 single storms to No 1
The new version of the Band Aid song Do They Know It's Christmas? has gone straight in at number one in the UK singles chart.
The charity record is also tipped to be this year's Christmas number one. It features vocals from the likes of Chris Martin, Dido, Robbie Williams and the Sugababes. The original version - which was the Christmas number one in 1984 - sold 750,000 copies in its first week and 3.5 million in total. It was released in the US, and reached number 13 in the singles chart. However, Band Aid 20 is not going to be released in the US, despite being sold in many countries around the world. US record shops are stocking an import version of Do They Know It's Christmas, which is said to be selling very well in Los Angeles and New York.
British stars who appear on the current recording, such as Dido and Coldplay's Chris Martin, are well known to music fans across the Atlantic, along with U2 frontman Bono. Record company Universal is responsible for the global distribution of the single, which will be available across Europe, Asia, South America and Canada. But music fans in the US are still able to access the song and download it on Band Aid 20's official website. In 1985, a group of high-profile American stars known as USA For Africa came together to record their own fund-raising single, We Are The World. The song was written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, with Quincy Jones as producer.
It topped the US charts for three weeks and went on win Grammy awards for best record and song. Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Tina Turner were among the line-up of performers. Proceeds from the sales of the Band Aid 20 single will go towards aid relief in Africa, in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan. The money raised will also be used to help combat HIV and Aids across the continent. The Band Aid Trust which was set up 20 years ago, when the original single was released, handed out $144m (£75m) to famine relief projects across Africa between January 1985 and November 2004.
| It was released in the US, and reached number 13 in the singles chart.The new version of the Band Aid song Do They Know It's Christmas?The Band Aid Trust which was set up 20 years ago, when the original single was released, handed out $144m (£75m) to famine relief projects across Africa between January 1985 and November 2004.Proceeds from the sales of the Band Aid 20 single will go towards aid relief in Africa, in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan.But music fans in the US are still able to access the song and download it on Band Aid 20's official website.The original version - which was the Christmas number one in 1984 - sold 750,000 copies in its first week and 3.5 million in total.The charity record is also tipped to be this year's Christmas number one.However, Band Aid 20 is not going to be released in the US, despite being sold in many countries around the world. |
355 | Israeli economy picking up pace
Israel's economy is forecast to grow by 4.2% in 2004 as it continues to emerge from a three-year recession.
The main driver of the faster-than-expected expansion has been exports, with tourism seeing a strong rebound, the statistical office said. The economy is benefiting from a quieter period in Palestinian-Israeli violence and a pick-up in global demand for technology products. The outlook is better than it has been for a number of years, analysts said.
Many companies have focused on cost cutting and greater efficiency, while the government has been trying to trim public spending and push through reforms. The growth figures come about despite a strike earlier this year by about 400,000 public sector worker which closed banks, hospitals, postal services and transport facilities. Growth did slow in the second half, but only slightly. Exports for the year rose by 14%, while tourist revenues were up by 30%. Imports gained by 13%, signalling that domestic demand has picked up again. In 2003, imports declined by 1.8%. In 2003, the economy expanded by 1.3%
| The main driver of the faster-than-expected expansion has been exports, with tourism seeing a strong rebound, the statistical office said.Imports gained by 13%, signalling that domestic demand has picked up again.The outlook is better than it has been for a number of years, analysts said.In 2003, the economy expanded by 1.3%The economy is benefiting from a quieter period in Palestinian-Israeli violence and a pick-up in global demand for technology products. |
1,501 | Campbell lifts lid on United feud
Arsenal's Sol Campbell has called the rivalry between Manchester United and the Gunners "bitter and personal".
Past encounters have stirred up plenty of ill-feeling between the sides and they meet again at Highbury on Tuesday. "It is just more bitter and personal against United," the defender told The Guardian newspaper. "There's an edge. "After all that has happened, if we beat them it will be one of our sweetest ever wins, especially because of how we lost to them up there." Last October, Arsenal lost 2-0 at Old Trafford, which ended a record 49-match unbeaten league run and sparked a mini-crisis, with the Gunners winning only three of their next 10 games.
"It had a psychological impact on us, but again because of the way we were defeated," added the 30-year-old, referring to a controversial penalty award for United's first goal. "That was far more upsetting, losing like that, because they just seem to get away with it. You try and balance out over the course of a season but I've had so many rough decisions against them you begin to wonder." With tensions spilling over afterwards - United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was allegedly pelted with pizza in the players' tunnel - there is little surprise that so much is riding on the return encounter on. "Everyone at Arsenal has been waiting for this game," said Campbell. "We are up for this one."
Speaking on his long-term plans, Campbell signalled his intent to move abroad before he turns 35. "I'm 30 now and in five years' time I won't be in this country - that's definite. "Italy looks good to me because it would suit my kind of football. Spain is an option but the idea of tasting a new culture and learning another language excites me the most. I'm starting a little with French, of course."
| Arsenal's Sol Campbell has called the rivalry between Manchester United and the Gunners "bitter and personal".I'm starting a little with French, of course."With tensions spilling over afterwards - United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was allegedly pelted with pizza in the players' tunnel - there is little surprise that so much is riding on the return encounter on."After all that has happened, if we beat them it will be one of our sweetest ever wins, especially because of how we lost to them up there.""Everyone at Arsenal has been waiting for this game," said Campbell."It is just more bitter and personal against United," the defender told The Guardian newspaper."We are up for this one." |
1,313 | Lib Dems unveil election slogan
The Liberal Democrats will present themselves as "the real alternative" in the forthcoming general election campaign, Charles Kennedy has said.
Unveiling the slogan at the party's spring conference, he said there was no "glass ceiling" to its ambitions. He told delegates that Labour had abused the public's trust and that the Tories had failed to oppose them. In response, the Conservatives insisted that theirs was the party that understood the "forgotten majority".
Speaking in Harrogate Mr Kennedy said: "People want a credible, principled political party which offers a different vision of what Britain can be."
Only the Liberal Democrats stood against the Iraq war, he said, and they had also provided strong opposition to the government's plans on ID cards, anti-terror measures and taxation. He said: "If you voted Conservative in 2001 ... what good did it do you? Your vote was wasted. "What people needed was ... a party which was listening to their concerns; a party which was prepared to stand up and say so; a party which said no to the prime minister." Responding to the claims Tory Party co-chairman Liam Fox said: "Like Labour, the Lib Dems are soft on crime, support higher taxes, oppose controlled immigration and support giving Europe more control over our lives."
Mr Kennedy also outlined his party's plan to impose a 50% income tax rate on earnings over £100,000 a year. The money would be used to help pay for key policies such as abolishing university tuition fees, scrapping council tax in favour of local income tax, and providing free care for the elderly, he said. Labour and the Tories claim the sums do not add up, and that working families would be hardest hit. Mr Kennedy said: "Britain is the fourth-largest economy in the world. We have world class businesses and a world class workforce.
"So why are two million of our pensioners living below the poverty line?" All the parties are campaigning hard for an expected election in May, although Prime Minister Tony Blair has not confirmed any timing. Earlier, Mr Kennedy told Radio 4's Today programme there was no possibility of forming a coalition with Labour in the event of a hung Parliament. "We go into the election as an independent party and we come out as an independent party," he said. Mr Kennedy has been under fire in recent days for missing Monday's Commons vote on the government's controversial anti-terrorism laws, along with 16 other Lib Dem MPs. On Saturday, the Lib Dem chief executive said it was "just a cock-up" that Mr Kennedy and his colleagues missed the vote, which the government won by a majority of only 14. "Nobody had any idea that was going to happen," Lord Rennard told reporters at the party conference. He said he was certain MPs would get another chance to vote against the plans.
| "What people needed was ... a party which was listening to their concerns; a party which was prepared to stand up and say so; a party which said no to the prime minister."On Saturday, the Lib Dem chief executive said it was "just a cock-up" that Mr Kennedy and his colleagues missed the vote, which the government won by a majority of only 14.Mr Kennedy said: "Britain is the fourth-largest economy in the world.He said he was certain MPs would get another chance to vote against the plans.Speaking in Harrogate Mr Kennedy said: "People want a credible, principled political party which offers a different vision of what Britain can be.""We go into the election as an independent party and we come out as an independent party," he said.Unveiling the slogan at the party's spring conference, he said there was no "glass ceiling" to its ambitions.Earlier, Mr Kennedy told Radio 4's Today programme there was no possibility of forming a coalition with Labour in the event of a hung Parliament.The Liberal Democrats will present themselves as "the real alternative" in the forthcoming general election campaign, Charles Kennedy has said.Your vote was wasted. |
615 | Pop band Busted to 'take a break'
Chart-topping pop band Busted have confirmed that they plan to "take a break", following rumours that they were on the verge of splitting.
A statement from the band's record company Universal said frontman Charlie Simpson planned to spend some time working with his other band, Fightstar. However they said that Busted would "reconvene in due course". The band have had eight top three hits, including four number ones, since they first hit the charts in 2002. Their singles include What I Go To School For, Year 3000, Crashed The Wedding, You Said No, and Who's David?
The band, which also includes members Matt Jay and James Bourne, made the top ten with their self-titled debut album, as well as the follow-up, A Present For Everyone, in 2003. They won best pop act and best breakthrough act at the 2004 Brit Awards and were nominated for best British group. Most recently they topped the charts with the theme from the live-action film version of Thunderbirds, which was voted Record Of The Year on the ITV1 show. The band have capitalised on a craze for artists playing catchy pop music with rock overtones. The trio are seen as an alternative to more manufactured artists who are not considered credible musicians because they do not write their own songs or play their own instruments. However, recent rumours have suggested that Simpson has been wanting to quit the band to focus on Fightstar. He now plans to take Fightstar on tour.
| Chart-topping pop band Busted have confirmed that they plan to "take a break", following rumours that they were on the verge of splitting.A statement from the band's record company Universal said frontman Charlie Simpson planned to spend some time working with his other band, Fightstar.However, recent rumours have suggested that Simpson has been wanting to quit the band to focus on Fightstar.The band have capitalised on a craze for artists playing catchy pop music with rock overtones.The band have had eight top three hits, including four number ones, since they first hit the charts in 2002. |
485 | Swiss cement firm in buying spree
Swiss cement firm Holcim has bid $800m (£429m) to buy two Indian cement firms and a holding company in the country.
It plans to buy Associated Cement Companies (ACC), Ambuja Cement Eastern and the holding firm, Ambuja Cement India Ltd, a Holcim statement said. Shares in ACC fell 5.5% as investors, who thought the offer was underpriced, decided to sell. Meanwhile, UK-based firm Aggregate Industries said it had agreed a £1.8bn takeover by Holcim.
The deal with Aggregates will give Holcim, the world's second-biggest cement maker, an entry into the UK market and boost its presence in the US. Peter Tom, who will remain as Aggregate chief executive, said the 138p a share offer provided "significant value" for shareholders. The Markfield, Leicestershire-based company runs 142 quarries in the UK and the US. It also has 164 ready-mixed concrete plants, 90 asphalt plants and 32 pre-cast concrete factories.
If the Indian deals go ahead, it will give Holcim a major presence in the world's fastest-growing market behind China. ACC is India's second-largest cement maker with an annual capacity of 18.2 million tonnes and a market share of 13%. "Holcim is looking to buy it (ACC) very cheap," said KK Mittal, a fund manager with Escorts Mutual Fund in New Delhi. "The market is not impressed. If they want a substantial chunk, then they should be paying a premium over the market price." Shares in Holcim rose by 2.3% on Thursday following news of the takeover.
| The deal with Aggregates will give Holcim, the world's second-biggest cement maker, an entry into the UK market and boost its presence in the US.Swiss cement firm Holcim has bid $800m (£429m) to buy two Indian cement firms and a holding company in the country.It plans to buy Associated Cement Companies (ACC), Ambuja Cement Eastern and the holding firm, Ambuja Cement India Ltd, a Holcim statement said.ACC is India's second-largest cement maker with an annual capacity of 18.2 million tonnes and a market share of 13%.If the Indian deals go ahead, it will give Holcim a major presence in the world's fastest-growing market behind China.Meanwhile, UK-based firm Aggregate Industries said it had agreed a £1.8bn takeover by Holcim. |
1,114 | Blair dismisses quit claim report
Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election.
"You don't do deals over jobs like this," the prime minister told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost programme. According to a new book, Brown's Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge to make way for Mr Brown after Cabinet allies intervened in June 2004. Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country. Mr Blair said: "I've dealt with this six months ago. I said then you don't do deals over jobs like this - you don't.
"What both of us are actually concentrating on are the issues that concern the country." The book, by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Peston and serialised in the newspaper, said the pair had "mutual animosity and contempt" for each other.
It claims Tony Blair felt by November 2003 he had lost voters' trust because of the Iraq war and that he was no longer an asset to the Labour Party. And that at a dinner hosted by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott he told Mr Brown of his intention to stand down. According to Mr Peston the prime minister said: "Help me to get through the year and I will then stand down." But he then changed his mind in June 2004, following intervention from allies in the Cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him, according to the book.
Mr Peston told BBC News: "My understanding is that they are not nearly as close or as friendly as they once were. "What the book says is there is now a pretty profound mutual mistrust, mutual animosity. "I think in public you see this double-act pretending everything is alright, but in private I don't think the relationship is good because Brown, understandably, feels deeply betrayed - particularly over this issue of the leadership." But, in a wide-ranging BBC interview covering issues such as the Asian tsunami disaster, the Middle East peace process and Northern Ireland, Mr Blair said: "When you get to the top in politics you get this huge swell around you. "All sorts of people make all sorts of claims and counter-claims." He admitted to a "sense of frustration" about the allegations which he said had been made "countless times".
There has been fresh speculation of a rift recently, following their separate responses to the Asian tsunami. These rumours were fuelled by Mr Blair's decision to hold his monthly media conference at the same time as a long-planned speech by Mr Brown on UK plans to tackle global poverty with a new "Marshall Plan" for Africa. There was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other's response to the disaster. But the prime minister said he had discussed these claims with the chancellor and dismissed them as a "load of nonsense". Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.
Tory leader Michael Howard accused the prime minister and Mr Brown of "squabbling like schoolboys". He told Sky News' Sunday with Adam Boulton: "This is the politics of the playground and Britain really does deserve better." The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said the personal ambition of Mr Blair and Mr Brown was "getting in the way of good government". "Either they need to grow up and put their squabbles to one side or they cannot expect the electorate to support a divided government at the next election." During the interview Mr Blair also said the former home secretary David Blunkett would play a "big role" at the general election.
| Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country.The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said the personal ambition of Mr Blair and Mr Brown was "getting in the way of good government".According to Mr Peston the prime minister said: "Help me to get through the year and I will then stand down."According to a new book, Brown's Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge to make way for Mr Brown after Cabinet allies intervened in June 2004.Mr Blair said: "I've dealt with this six months ago.And that at a dinner hosted by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott he told Mr Brown of his intention to stand down.During the interview Mr Blair also said the former home secretary David Blunkett would play a "big role" at the general election.Tory leader Michael Howard accused the prime minister and Mr Brown of "squabbling like schoolboys".But, in a wide-ranging BBC interview covering issues such as the Asian tsunami disaster, the Middle East peace process and Northern Ireland, Mr Blair said: "When you get to the top in politics you get this huge swell around you.But the prime minister said he had discussed these claims with the chancellor and dismissed them as a "load of nonsense".Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election. |
646 | 'Christmas song formula' unveiled
A formula for the ultimate Christmas single has been revealed by chart bible British Hit Singles and Albums.
The recipe includes a reference to Father Christmas, sleigh bells, a children's choir and a charity element. The song should also include Christmas in the title, wishes for peace on earth and lots of airplay at office parties. "There are common musical elements linking nearly all the big Christmas number ones of recent times," said editor David Roberts. The book's analysts commissioned chart prank group Moped to create the first Christmas single using the whole formula - the song is called Gonna Have a No 1 This Christmas by Moped Vs Santa.
"Everybody says that Christmas number ones are formulaic, but Gonna Have a Number One this Christmas is the first song to crack the formula and combine all these elements into one ultimate Christmas track" said Mr Roberts. "Surprisingly, there's no Santa listed among the 8,000, top 75 chart performers in the book, so this is our chance to help Santa to his rightful place in British recording history." Big festive hits over the years include Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?, Slade's Merry Christmas Everybody, Wham's Last Christmas and Sir Cliff Richards' Mistletoe and Wine. Band Aid 20's remake of Do They Know It's Christmas is set to be confirmed as number one in the charts on Sunday.
| "Everybody says that Christmas number ones are formulaic, but Gonna Have a Number One this Christmas is the first song to crack the formula and combine all these elements into one ultimate Christmas track" said Mr Roberts.Big festive hits over the years include Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?, Slade's Merry Christmas Everybody, Wham's Last Christmas and Sir Cliff Richards' Mistletoe and Wine.The book's analysts commissioned chart prank group Moped to create the first Christmas single using the whole formula - the song is called Gonna Have a No 1 This Christmas by Moped Vs Santa.Band Aid 20's remake of Do They Know It's Christmas is set to be confirmed as number one in the charts on Sunday. |
1,812 | Moya sidesteps Davis Cup in 2005
Carlos Moya has chosen not to help Spain try and defend the Davis Cup crown they won in Seville in November.
Moya led Spain to victory over the USA but wants to focus on the Grand Slams in 2005, although insists he will return to the Davis Cup in 2006. "After two years of total commitment with the Davis Cup team... I have taken this difficult decision to concentrate on the regular circuit," said Moya. "They know that after this season they can count on me again if they so wish." The 1998 French Open champion is determined to make an impact in the major events after spending much of the last eight years in the top 10. "At the age of 29 I have set some tough goals in my professional career and this season I need to fix my objectives on specific dates and tournaments," he said. "Since the Davis Cup in Seville I have been working on my condition as well as technical and medical aspects of my game which will allow me to come into the big events of the year in top form."
Moya began 2005 with victory in the Chennai Open on Sunday.
| Moya led Spain to victory over the USA but wants to focus on the Grand Slams in 2005, although insists he will return to the Davis Cup in 2006.Carlos Moya has chosen not to help Spain try and defend the Davis Cup crown they won in Seville in November."Since the Davis Cup in Seville I have been working on my condition as well as technical and medical aspects of my game which will allow me to come into the big events of the year in top form.""After two years of total commitment with the Davis Cup team... |
616 | Streets have 'album of the year'
The Streets, aka British rapper and songwriter, Mike Skinner have topped a poll to find the year's best album.
A Grand Don't Come for Free beat Keane's Hope and Fears in second place with Franz Ferdinand's self-titled album third, in the Q magazine poll. Skinner uses blunt beats under streetwise lyrics about such things as falling in love and drink and drugs. Q Magazine said: "A Grand Don't Come for Free captured the country's mood in a way no one could have predicted." A Grand Don't Come for Free is the second album from The Streets. It followed Original Pirate Material. Q Magazine also had praise for the runners-up in the poll. Keane's Hopes and Fears, was described as a "revelatory debut" which showed "they had songwriting flair to spare". It also said Franz Ferdinand's album sounded "natural, unforced (and) under-produced". Rock band U2's latest album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb came fourth while Razorlight's Up All Night was in fifth place. Others notables on the list included Dizzee Rascal in at number 12 and The Zutons at 20. Estelle came in at 39, Joss Stone was 40th and Jamelia took the 44th place.
| A Grand Don't Come for Free beat Keane's Hope and Fears in second place with Franz Ferdinand's self-titled album third, in the Q magazine poll.A Grand Don't Come for Free is the second album from The Streets.Q Magazine said: "A Grand Don't Come for Free captured the country's mood in a way no one could have predicted."Rock band U2's latest album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb came fourth while Razorlight's Up All Night was in fifth place.It also said Franz Ferdinand's album sounded "natural, unforced (and) under-produced". |
323 | No seasonal lift for house market
A swathe of figures have provided further evidence of a slowdown in the UK property market.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), British Bankers Association (BBA) and Building Societies Association (BSA) all said mortgage lending was slowing. CML figures showed gross lending fell by 4% in November as the number of people buying new homes fell. Elsewhere, the BBA added underlying mortgage lending rose by £4m in November, compared to October's £4.29m. The CML said that loans for new property purchases fell 25% year-on-year to 85,000 - the lowest total seen since February 2003.
Data from the CML showed lending fell to just over £25bn in November, from £25.5bn a year earlier. Separate figures from the Building Societies Association showed the value of mortgage approvals -- loans agreed but not yet made -- stood 32% lower than at the same time last year, at a seasonally-adjusted £2.98bn. The figures come hot on the heels of new data from property website Rightmove which suggested owners must indulge in a "winter sale" and slash prices by up to 8%. Miles Shipside, commercial director at Rightmove, said sellers would have to be "more realistic with their asking prices" to tempt buyers. The average asking price of a home fell by more than £600 from £190,329 in November to £189,733 in December, while the length of time it takes to sell a home rose to 81 days from 53 in the summer.
Rightmove said estate agents were set to enter 2005 with a third more properties on their books than a year ago. "Even once the quieter holiday period is over, sellers will find themselves competing with a lot of other properties on the market. In any business, excess supply and low demand means one thing - cut prices," Mr Shipside said.
"The proof is that some properties that have been appropriately discounted are selling, even in the current market." Overall, asking prices have fallen 3.3% from their July peaks as the equivalent of £6,500 has been cut from an average property. A host of mortgage lenders and economists have predicted that property prices will either fall or stagnate in 2005. "What is apparent is a picture of a slowing market, but one that should remain stable as we return to more normal volumes of lending over 2005 as a whole," CML director general Michael Coogan said. "It's a fairly consistent picture, showing that mortgage demand has fallen back again, which is consistent with a continuing correction in the housing market," Investec economist Philip Shaw said. "However, the figures do suggest only a modest weakening, and we stand by our view that the property market will remain in the doldrums for some time, though a collapse is still unlikely."
| The CML said that loans for new property purchases fell 25% year-on-year to 85,000 - the lowest total seen since February 2003.CML figures showed gross lending fell by 4% in November as the number of people buying new homes fell.A swathe of figures have provided further evidence of a slowdown in the UK property market.The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), British Bankers Association (BBA) and Building Societies Association (BSA) all said mortgage lending was slowing.Data from the CML showed lending fell to just over £25bn in November, from £25.5bn a year earlier."What is apparent is a picture of a slowing market, but one that should remain stable as we return to more normal volumes of lending over 2005 as a whole," CML director general Michael Coogan said.Rightmove said estate agents were set to enter 2005 with a third more properties on their books than a year ago.A host of mortgage lenders and economists have predicted that property prices will either fall or stagnate in 2005. |
1,646 | Parker misses England clash
Tom Shanklin will start in the centre for Wales against England in Cardiff on Saturday after Sonny Parker failed to recover from a trapped neck nerve.
Shanklin was first-choice wing in the autumn Tests, but prefers centre and will face England debutant Mathew Tait. Dragons three-quarter Hal Luscombe takes Shanklin's wing berth. Up front, Mefin Davies plays at hooker, open-side Martyn Williams is fit to start and lock Rob Sidoli replaces veteran Gareth Llewellyn. Davies wins the vote ahead of Robin McBryde, who sits on the bench having recently returned to action for the Scarlets following a neck injury.
Sidoli is back for the first time since last season's Six Nations, the Blues second row back to form after a niggling groin problem. Williams, Sidoli's team-mate at Cardiff, is set to win his 50th cap, replacing the injured Colin Charvis after making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a neck disc problem. "Initially when I had the diagnosis it was a case of trying to get fit for the Italy game next week, but fortunately my recovery has been a lot quicker than we all hoped," Williams told BBC Sport Wales. "I haven't started a game since 1 January and would have preferred to have a couple of games in the lead-up to this, but the good thing with the injury is that I have kept up my fitness levels. "I feel quite fresh and I just can't wait to play again." Williams says he expects a torrid time from an England loose-forward trio of Lewis Moody, Joe Worsley and Andy Hazell. "They are three top-class players, especially Worsley and Moody. They have been there and done it," Williams added. "They were back-ups behind Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio, but now they have come forward and proved what good players they are - there are no weaknesses there." Luscombe gets the nod on the wing ahead of Dragons team-mate Kevin Morgan, who wins a place on the bench alongside uncapped Blues prop John Yapp.
G Thomas (Toulouse (capt); H Luscombe (Dragons), T Shanklin (Blues), G Henson (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Clermont Auvergne), D Peel (Scarlets); G Jenkins (Blues), M Davies (Gloucester), A Jones (Ospreys), B Cockbain (Ospreys), R Sidoli (Blues), D Jones (Scarlets), M Williams (Blues), M Owen (Dragons).
R McBryde (Scarlets), J Yapp (Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), G Cooper (Dragons), C Sweeney (Dragons), K Morgan (Dragons).
| G Thomas (Toulouse (capt); H Luscombe (Dragons), T Shanklin (Blues), G Henson (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Clermont Auvergne), D Peel (Scarlets); G Jenkins (Blues), M Davies (Gloucester), A Jones (Ospreys), B Cockbain (Ospreys), R Sidoli (Blues), D Jones (Scarlets), M Williams (Blues), M Owen (Dragons).Luscombe gets the nod on the wing ahead of Dragons team-mate Kevin Morgan, who wins a place on the bench alongside uncapped Blues prop John Yapp.R McBryde (Scarlets), J Yapp (Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), G Cooper (Dragons), C Sweeney (Dragons), K Morgan (Dragons).Williams says he expects a torrid time from an England loose-forward trio of Lewis Moody, Joe Worsley and Andy Hazell.Up front, Mefin Davies plays at hooker, open-side Martyn Williams is fit to start and lock Rob Sidoli replaces veteran Gareth Llewellyn.Williams, Sidoli's team-mate at Cardiff, is set to win his 50th cap, replacing the injured Colin Charvis after making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a neck disc problem."Initially when I had the diagnosis it was a case of trying to get fit for the Italy game next week, but fortunately my recovery has been a lot quicker than we all hoped," Williams told BBC Sport Wales. |
672 | Prince crowned 'top music earner'
Prince earned more than any other pop star in 2004, beating artists such Madonna and Elton John in US magazine Rolling Stone's annual list.
The singer banked $56.5m (£30.4m) from concerts, album and publishing sales with his Musicology tour and album. He kept Madonna in second place, as she earned $54.9m (£29.5m) while embarking on her global Re-Invention Tour. Veterans Simon and Garfunkel were in 10th place, their comeback tour helping them earn $24.9m (£13.4m) last year.
"Prince returned to centre stage after a decade in the commercial wilderness," the magazine reported. The singer's 2004 tour took $90.3m (£48.5m) in ticket sales and he sold 1.9 million copies of his latest album Musicology.
Although she grossed more than Prince last year, Madonna remained in second place because of the "monumental" production costs of her tour. Heavy metal band Metallica's Madly in Anger with the World tour helped push their 2004 earnings up to $43.1m (£23.1m). They were ahead of Sir Elton John, who took fourth place and almost $42.7m (£23m) from performances including a debut on the Las Vegas Strip. Other seasoned performers in the list included Rod Stewart, whose sold-out shows and third volume of The Great American Songbook covers album helped net him £35m (£19m). The highest-ranking rap act in the list was 50 Cent, who at number 19 took $24m (£13m) to the bank.
| Although she grossed more than Prince last year, Madonna remained in second place because of the "monumental" production costs of her tour.He kept Madonna in second place, as she earned $54.9m (£29.5m) while embarking on her global Re-Invention Tour.The singer's 2004 tour took $90.3m (£48.5m) in ticket sales and he sold 1.9 million copies of his latest album Musicology.The singer banked $56.5m (£30.4m) from concerts, album and publishing sales with his Musicology tour and album.Veterans Simon and Garfunkel were in 10th place, their comeback tour helping them earn $24.9m (£13.4m) last year. |
1,747 | Henman hopes ended in Dubai
Third seed Tim Henman slumped to a straight sets defeat in his rain-interrupted Dubai Open quarter-final against Ivan Ljubicic.
The Croatian eighth seed booked his place in the last four with a 7-5 6-4 victory over the British number one. Henman had looked on course to level the match after going 2-0 up in the second set, but his progress was halted as the rain intervened again. Ljubicic hit back after the break to seal a fourth straight win over Henman. Earlier in the day, Spanish fifth seed Tommy Robredo secured his semi-final place when he beat Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 6-4 6-4. Afterwards, Henman was left cursing the weather and the umpire after seven breaks for rain during the match. "It was incredibly frustrating," Henman said. "It's raining and the umpire doesn't take control. "He kept telling us to play till the end of the game. But if it's raining, you come off - the score's irrelevant. "It couldn't be more frustrating as I was very happy with my form until now. You don't expect this in the desert."
| Afterwards, Henman was left cursing the weather and the umpire after seven breaks for rain during the match."It was incredibly frustrating," Henman said.Henman had looked on course to level the match after going 2-0 up in the second set, but his progress was halted as the rain intervened again.Third seed Tim Henman slumped to a straight sets defeat in his rain-interrupted Dubai Open quarter-final against Ivan Ljubicic.Ljubicic hit back after the break to seal a fourth straight win over Henman. |
1,677 | A year to remember for Irish
There used to be one subliminal moment during a year in Irish rugby that stood out more than most.
Well, at least there used to one. Now there is a handful to look back with a mixture of satisfaction, and sorrow. It has been quite a year for the Irish, and not just with Eddie O'Sullivan's Triple Crown winning international outfit either. Right down through the ranks Irish rugby is creating waves and upsetting the more established teams in the game. But most of the kudos will go to O'Sullivan and his merry band of warriors who not only collected their first Triple Crown for 29 years, but also finished their autumn campaign with a 100% record. For the second year in succession they also finished in the runners-up spot in the RBS Six Nations. But in the three games in November which included a victory over Tri-Nations champions and Grand Slam chasing South Africa, Ireland finsihed the year on a high. The 18-12 victory at Lansdowne Road was only their second victory over the Boks after the initial success back in 1965. That success was revenge for the consecutive defeats in Blomefontein and Cape Town in the summer. Those two reverses and the 35-17 flop against France, were the only dark patches in an otherwise excellent 12 months. But the big one, of course, was the 19-13 defeat of World Cup champions England on their precious Twickenham turf. The winning try was conceived in O'Sullivan's mind, perfectly executed by the team and finished immaculately by Girvan Dempsey. For me, the try of the Championship. O'Sullivan's career is now in vertical take-off mode. It is no wonder that Sir Clive Woodward has elevated the Galway-based coach to head the Lions Test side. Not only that, but a fair majority of the present Ireland side will be wearing red next June in New Zealand.
There can be no doubt that Ireland's representation will be the biggest ever, albeit in a proposed 44-man squad. In Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell, Ireland have now the two front-runners for the captaincy. Gordon D'Arcy, whose career began as a teenager back in 1999, finally arrived when he was named the Six Nations Player of the Tournament. But it was not only the senior squad that brought kudos to Ireland, the youngsters strutted their stuff on the big stage as well. The under-21 squad confounded the doubters as they went all the way to the World Cup final in Scotland only to be beaten by a powerful All Black side in the decider. The young Irish boys had stated their intentions earlier in the season when they finished runners-up to England in the Six Nations under-21 tournament. On the provincial front, Leinster, for second year in succession, blew it when the Heineken Cup looked a good wager. While Ulster finished runners-up in their very tight group for the second season in succession, it was Munster again flying the flag for the Irish. Looking to reach their third final, they went down 37-32 to eventual winners Wasps in what many beileve was the most competitive and thunderous game ever witnessed at Lansdowne Road. How Wasps recovered from that energy-sapping duel, and then go onto to defeat Toulouse in the final was anybody's guess. Ulster, meanwhile, just lost out to adding the inaugural Celtic Cup in winning the Celtic League when they were pipped at the post by the Scarlets in the final game.
Ulster, however, took time to start the new season under new coach Mark McCall. The once famous Ravenhill fortress was breached four times as Ulster only manged five wins from their first 12 outings in the Celtic League. Leinster are again looking the most potent outfit going into 2005, but whether they can take that final step under Declan Kidney is another thing. On the down side, Irish rugby was hit by a number of tragedies. Teenage star John McCall died while playing for the Ireland against New Zealand in the under-19 World Cup game in Durban. That happened only 10 days after he led Royal Armagh to their first Ulster Schools' Cup success since 1977. The death of former Ireland coach and Lions flanker Mike Doyle in a car crash in Northern Ireland shocked the rugby fraternity A larger than life character, Doyle had coached Ireland to the Triple Crown in 1985, the last time that goal had been achieved before this season. Ulster rugby also suffered the sudden deaths of well-known Londonderry YM player Jim Huey, Coleraine's Jonathan Hutchinson, and Belfast Harlequins lock Johnny Poole. They all passed away long before the full-time whistle.
| While Ulster finished runners-up in their very tight group for the second season in succession, it was Munster again flying the flag for the Irish.On the down side, Irish rugby was hit by a number of tragedies.But the big one, of course, was the 19-13 defeat of World Cup champions England on their precious Twickenham turf.The winning try was conceived in O'Sullivan's mind, perfectly executed by the team and finished immaculately by Girvan Dempsey.But it was not only the senior squad that brought kudos to Ireland, the youngsters strutted their stuff on the big stage as well.The 18-12 victory at Lansdowne Road was only their second victory over the Boks after the initial success back in 1965.There used to be one subliminal moment during a year in Irish rugby that stood out more than most.For the second year in succession they also finished in the runners-up spot in the RBS Six Nations.Teenage star John McCall died while playing for the Ireland against New Zealand in the under-19 World Cup game in Durban.Looking to reach their third final, they went down 37-32 to eventual winners Wasps in what many beileve was the most competitive and thunderous game ever witnessed at Lansdowne Road.It has been quite a year for the Irish, and not just with Eddie O'Sullivan's Triple Crown winning international outfit either.The death of former Ireland coach and Lions flanker Mike Doyle in a car crash in Northern Ireland shocked the rugby fraternity A larger than life character, Doyle had coached Ireland to the Triple Crown in 1985, the last time that goal had been achieved before this season.Gordon D'Arcy, whose career began as a teenager back in 1999, finally arrived when he was named the Six Nations Player of the Tournament.The young Irish boys had stated their intentions earlier in the season when they finished runners-up to England in the Six Nations under-21 tournament.Ulster, meanwhile, just lost out to adding the inaugural Celtic Cup in winning the Celtic League when they were pipped at the post by the Scarlets in the final game. |
2,128 | Format wars could 'confuse users'
Technology firms Sony, Philips, Matsushita and Samsung are developing a common way to stop people pirating digital music and video.
The firms want to make a system that ensures files play on the hardware they make but also thwarts illegal copying. The move could mean more confusion for consumers already faced by many different, and conflicting, content control systems, experts warned. They say there are no guarantees the system will even prevent piracy.
Currently many online stores wrap up downloadable files in an own-brand control system that means they can only be played on a small number of media players. Systems that limit what people can do with the files they download are known as Digital Rights Management systems. By setting up the alliance to work on a common control system, the firms said they hope to end this current fragmentation of file formats. In a joint statement the firms said they wanted to let consumers enjoy "appropriately licensed video and music on any device, independent of how they originally obtained that content". The firms hope that it will also make it harder for consumers to make illegal copies of the music, movies and other digital content they have bought. Called the Marlin Joint Development Association, the alliance will define basic specifications that every device made by the electronics firms will conform to. Marlin will be built on technology from rights management firm Intertrust as well as an earlier DRM system developed by a group known as the Coral Consortium.
The move is widely seen as a way for the four firms to decide their own destiny on content control systems instead of having to sign up for those being pushed by Apple and Microsoft. Confusingly for consumers, the technology that comes out of the alliance will sit alongside the content control systems of rival firms such as Microsoft and Apple. "In many ways the different DRM systems are akin to the different physical formats, such as Betamax and VHS, that consumers have seen in the past," said Ian Fogg, personal technology and broadband analyst at Jupiter Research. "The difference is that it is very fragmented," he said. "It's not a two-horse race, it's a five, six, seven or even eight-horse race" Mr Fogg said consumers had to be very careful when buying digital content to ensure that it would play on the devices they own. He said currently there were even incompatibilities within DRM families. Although initiatives such as Microsoft's "Plays for Sure" program could help remove some of the uncertainty, he said, life was likely to be confusing for consumers for some time to come.
Shelley Taylor, analyst and author of a report about online music services, said the locks and limits on digital files were done to maximise the cash that firms can make from consumers. Apple's iTunes service was a perfect example of this, she said. "Although iTunes has been hugely successful, Apple could not justify its existence if it did not help sell all those iPods," she said.
She said rampant competition between online music services, of which there are now 230 according to recent figures, could drive more openness and freer file formats. "It always works out that consumer needs win out in the long run," she said, "and the services that win in the long run are the ones that listen to consumers earliest." Ms Taylor said the limits legal download services place on files could help explain the continuing popularity of file-sharing systems that let people get hold of pirated pop. "People want portability," she said, "and with peer-to-peer they have 100% portability." Cory Doctorow, European co-ordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation which campaigns for consumers on many cyber-rights issues, expressed doubts that the Marlin system would achieve its aims. "Not one of these systems has ever prevented piracy or illegal copying," he said. He said many firms readily admit that their DRM systems are little protection against skilled attackers such as the organised crime gangs that are responsible for most piracy. Instead, said Mr Doctorow, DRM systems were intended to control the group that electronics firms have most hold over - consumers. "The studios and labels perceive an opportunity to sell you your media again and again - the iPod version, the auto version, the American and UK version, the ringtone version, and so on."
| Instead, said Mr Doctorow, DRM systems were intended to control the group that electronics firms have most hold over - consumers.By setting up the alliance to work on a common control system, the firms said they hope to end this current fragmentation of file formats.He said many firms readily admit that their DRM systems are little protection against skilled attackers such as the organised crime gangs that are responsible for most piracy.Shelley Taylor, analyst and author of a report about online music services, said the locks and limits on digital files were done to maximise the cash that firms can make from consumers."Not one of these systems has ever prevented piracy or illegal copying," he said.In a joint statement the firms said they wanted to let consumers enjoy "appropriately licensed video and music on any device, independent of how they originally obtained that content".Ms Taylor said the limits legal download services place on files could help explain the continuing popularity of file-sharing systems that let people get hold of pirated pop.Confusingly for consumers, the technology that comes out of the alliance will sit alongside the content control systems of rival firms such as Microsoft and Apple."In many ways the different DRM systems are akin to the different physical formats, such as Betamax and VHS, that consumers have seen in the past," said Ian Fogg, personal technology and broadband analyst at Jupiter Research.The firms want to make a system that ensures files play on the hardware they make but also thwarts illegal copying.The move is widely seen as a way for the four firms to decide their own destiny on content control systems instead of having to sign up for those being pushed by Apple and Microsoft.The firms hope that it will also make it harder for consumers to make illegal copies of the music, movies and other digital content they have bought. |
775 | Abba reunite for musical premiere
The original stars of Swedish pop quartet Abba have reunited for the home premiere of hit musical Mamma Mia! which is based on the band's songs.
It is the first time in almost 20 years that the four, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, have met publicly. Faltskog has been a virtual recluse since the band split up in 1982. The musical, which has become a global phenomenon, will be performed in Swedish for the first time. Fans camped outside Stockholm's Cirkus theatre in the snow for a glimpse of the stars. The premiere marks Abba's first public reunion since the legendary band's acrimonious break-up in the early 1980s. It was thought that Faltskog would appear in London for the musical's fifth anniversary celebrations in April 2004 but she stayed away due to her fear of flying.
Original Abba member Bjorn Ulvaeus set about translating the musical into the band's mother tongue for the celebrated homecoming, alongside Swedish artist Niklas Stromstedt. Almost all of Abba's original songs, which have sold more than 350 million records worldwide, were written and recorded in English. The musical, set on a small Greek island, tells of the story of a young woman and her fiercely independent single mother. The show will include such classics as Super Trouper, SOS and Dancing Queen. There are currently 14 productions being staged worldwide, including New York and London, with road shows in Toronto, South Korea and Madrid. More than 20 million people around the world have seen the show.
| Original Abba member Bjorn Ulvaeus set about translating the musical into the band's mother tongue for the celebrated homecoming, alongside Swedish artist Niklas Stromstedt.The musical, which has become a global phenomenon, will be performed in Swedish for the first time.Almost all of Abba's original songs, which have sold more than 350 million records worldwide, were written and recorded in English.The premiere marks Abba's first public reunion since the legendary band's acrimonious break-up in the early 1980s.The original stars of Swedish pop quartet Abba have reunited for the home premiere of hit musical Mamma Mia!It is the first time in almost 20 years that the four, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, have met publicly. |
307 | Cairn shares slump on oil setback
Shares in Cairn Energy, a UK oil firm, have closed down 18% after a disappointing drilling update and a warning over possible tax demands.
The company said tests had shown no significant finds in one of its Indian oil fields, but was upbeat about the potential of other areas. It also said the Indian government had told it to pay a production tax, for which Cairn argues it is not liable. Cairn's shares have jumped by almost 400% this year. Investors had piled into Cairn after the company announced significant oil finds in India this year. Chief executive Bill Gammell said on Friday he was "disappointed" with exploration in the so-called N-C extension area in Rajasthan. Investors had held high hopes of major oil finds in this area. But Cairn said estimates had been revised in what was a "significant downgrade of the initial expectation".
Cairn also said that the government believed the company was liable to pay taxes under its production-sharing contract. The company said the rate would be about 900 rupees ($20.40; £10.50) per tonne, or seven barrels, of oil. A spokesman for the firm said that the tax would wipe 5% of the field's current value.
"Cairn refutes the government's position," Mr Gammell said. He insisted that the contract made it clear that the tax should be shouldered by the licensee - India's state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) - and not the contractor. "We have a pretty strong legal case here," he added, saying it would only become an issue once the firm started production. Investors took a dim view of the statements though. The shares closed down 247p, or 18%, at 1115 pence. "I think people were slightly over-ambitious for how quickly Cairn would be able to develop and potentially offload these reserves," said analyst Jason Kenney at ING.
The disappointments overshadowed increased production targets for Cairn's existing oilfields. The company raised targets for its Mangala and Aishwariya fields in India from 60,000 barrels a day to between 80,000 and 100,000 barrels a day. Its Mangala field, thought to contain a billion barrels, is its biggest find to date. "These two fields will provide the core of the future developments in Rajasthan," Mr Gammell said. Cairn added that it would be appraising another field early next year. Mr Gammell set up the company in the 1980s and has successfully switched its focus to South Asia from interests in the US and Europe. Cairn, which also operates in Nepal and Bangladesh, was catapulted into the FTSE 100 index of leading UK shares earlier this year after the sharp rise in its share price.
| Cairn also said that the government believed the company was liable to pay taxes under its production-sharing contract.Investors had piled into Cairn after the company announced significant oil finds in India this year.It also said the Indian government had told it to pay a production tax, for which Cairn argues it is not liable.The company said tests had shown no significant finds in one of its Indian oil fields, but was upbeat about the potential of other areas."Cairn refutes the government's position," Mr Gammell said.The company said the rate would be about 900 rupees ($20.40; £10.50) per tonne, or seven barrels, of oil.But Cairn said estimates had been revised in what was a "significant downgrade of the initial expectation".Cairn added that it would be appraising another field early next year.A spokesman for the firm said that the tax would wipe 5% of the field's current value.Cairn, which also operates in Nepal and Bangladesh, was catapulted into the FTSE 100 index of leading UK shares earlier this year after the sharp rise in its share price. |
1,149 | Blair dismisses quit claim report
Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election.
"You don't do deals over jobs like this," the prime minister told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost programme. According to a new book, Brown's Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge to make way for Mr Brown after Cabinet allies intervened in June 2004. Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country. Mr Blair said: "I've dealt with this six months ago. I said then you don't do deals over jobs like this - you don't.
"What both of us are actually concentrating on are the issues that concern the country." The book, by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Peston and serialised in the newspaper, said the pair had "mutual animosity and contempt" for each other.
It claims Tony Blair felt by November 2003 he had lost voters' trust because of the Iraq war and that he was no longer an asset to the Labour Party. And that at a dinner hosted by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott he told Mr Brown of his intention to stand down. According to Mr Peston the prime minister said: "Help me to get through the year and I will then stand down." But he then changed his mind in June 2004, following intervention from allies in the Cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him, according to the book.
Mr Peston told BBC News: "My understanding is that they are not nearly as close or as friendly as they once were. "What the book says is there is now a pretty profound mutual mistrust, mutual animosity. "I think in public you see this double-act pretending everything is alright, but in private I don't think the relationship is good because Brown, understandably, feels deeply betrayed - particularly over this issue of the leadership." But, in a wide-ranging BBC interview covering issues such as the Asian tsunami disaster, the Middle East peace process and Northern Ireland, Mr Blair said: "When you get to the top in politics you get this huge swell around you. "All sorts of people make all sorts of claims and counter-claims." He admitted to a "sense of frustration" about the allegations which he said had been made "countless times".
There has been fresh speculation of a rift recently, following their separate responses to the Asian tsunami. These rumours were fuelled by Mr Blair's decision to hold his monthly media conference at the same time as a long-planned speech by Mr Brown on UK plans to tackle global poverty with a new "Marshall Plan" for Africa. There was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other's response to the disaster. But the prime minister said he had discussed these claims with the chancellor and dismissed them as a "load of nonsense". Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.
Tory leader Michael Howard accused the prime minister and Mr Brown of "squabbling like schoolboys". He told Sky News' Sunday with Adam Boulton: "This is the politics of the playground and Britain really does deserve better." The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said the personal ambition of Mr Blair and Mr Brown was "getting in the way of good government". "Either they need to grow up and put their squabbles to one side or they cannot expect the electorate to support a divided government at the next election." During the interview Mr Blair also said the former home secretary David Blunkett would play a "big role" at the general election.
| Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country.The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said the personal ambition of Mr Blair and Mr Brown was "getting in the way of good government".According to Mr Peston the prime minister said: "Help me to get through the year and I will then stand down."According to a new book, Brown's Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge to make way for Mr Brown after Cabinet allies intervened in June 2004.Mr Blair said: "I've dealt with this six months ago.And that at a dinner hosted by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott he told Mr Brown of his intention to stand down.During the interview Mr Blair also said the former home secretary David Blunkett would play a "big role" at the general election.Tory leader Michael Howard accused the prime minister and Mr Brown of "squabbling like schoolboys".But, in a wide-ranging BBC interview covering issues such as the Asian tsunami disaster, the Middle East peace process and Northern Ireland, Mr Blair said: "When you get to the top in politics you get this huge swell around you.But the prime minister said he had discussed these claims with the chancellor and dismissed them as a "load of nonsense".Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election. |
749 | Fightstar take to the stage
Charlie Simpson took his new band Fightstar to the stage on Friday night, just hours after officially announcing his departure from pop band Busted.
He was greeted by a sell-out crowd at the University of Warwick. Confirmation of Busted's long-rumoured split had come earlier in the day, when Simpson held a press conference in London with bandmates Matt Willis and James Bourne. All three band members stressed that the break up was amicable, although Bourne admitted he was "devastated" to hear of Simpson's departure. "This has been a really difficult decision," 19-year-old Simpson revealed, "I hope the fans will understand."
While Simpson declared he would look back with pride on Busted's enormous success, his focus turned immediately to Fightstar, with Friday's press conference coinciding with the start of the band's 13-date tour of the UK. Fuelled by this news, all 1,400 tickets to see Charlie's first post-Busted live appearance - at the University of Warwick's Student Union - sold out rapidly. Mike Eccleshall, the venue's Promotions Coordinator, said: "Tickets had been selling strongly over the past few days, but sales went mad after the news broke. We had completely sold out by 4pm."
With queues outside the venue long and expectations high, the pressure was on Fightstar to impress. Although many dedicated fans travelled to the gig from around the country, they faced a tough crowd made up chiefly of students, the average age of the audience far exceeding that of any Busted concert. Gone were the screaming girls to which Simpson had become accustomed. Support act Brigade, fronted by Simpson's brother, played a short set first and were met with general approval. When Fightstar eventually took to the stage around 11pm, however, a riotous cheer easily drowned out any hecklers lurking in the crowd.
Unfortunately, the band were initially hindered by technical teething problems as Simpson's guitar amplifier failed to work. As sound technicians rushed to fix it, other band members did their best to improvise. When they eventually got under way, Fightstar's blend of emotionally charged rock was warmly received. Far heavier and less commercial than Busted's chart-topping pop-punk, the band will undoubtedly appeal to a more mature fan-base. Warwick student Helen Clutterbuck admitted: "I came to check out Fightstar because of all the controversy. "I've never heard them before, but I'm pretty impressed." Less impressed were fellow students Ryan Crabbe and Gordon Rennie, who observed, "With Fightstar, Charlie has clearly progressed from Busted's sound, but they're still not very inspiring." Fightstar played for around 45 minutes, showcasing material from their forthcoming EP called They Liked You Better When You Were Dead, due for release in February.
| Charlie Simpson took his new band Fightstar to the stage on Friday night, just hours after officially announcing his departure from pop band Busted.All three band members stressed that the break up was amicable, although Bourne admitted he was "devastated" to hear of Simpson's departure.When Fightstar eventually took to the stage around 11pm, however, a riotous cheer easily drowned out any hecklers lurking in the crowd.Less impressed were fellow students Ryan Crabbe and Gordon Rennie, who observed, "With Fightstar, Charlie has clearly progressed from Busted's sound, but they're still not very inspiring."He was greeted by a sell-out crowd at the University of Warwick.Warwick student Helen Clutterbuck admitted: "I came to check out Fightstar because of all the controversy.While Simpson declared he would look back with pride on Busted's enormous success, his focus turned immediately to Fightstar, with Friday's press conference coinciding with the start of the band's 13-date tour of the UK.With queues outside the venue long and expectations high, the pressure was on Fightstar to impress.Fuelled by this news, all 1,400 tickets to see Charlie's first post-Busted live appearance - at the University of Warwick's Student Union - sold out rapidly. |
135 | Feta cheese battle reaches court
A row over whether only Greece should be allowed to label its cheese feta has reached the European Court of Justice.
The Danish and German governments are challenging a European Commission ruling which said Greece should have sole rights to use the name. The Commission's decision gave the same legal protection to feta as to Italian Parma ham and French Champagne. But critics of the judgement say feta is a generic term, with the cheese produced widely outside Greece.
The Commission's controversial 2002 ruling gave "protected designation of origin" status to feta cheese made in Greece, effectively restricting the use of the feta name to producers there.
From 2007 onwards, Greek firms will have the exclusive use of the feta label and producers elsewhere in Europe must find another name to describe their products. The German and Danish governments argue that feta does not relate to a specific geographical area and that their firms have been producing and exporting the cheese for years. "In our opinion it is a generic designation and we do not have any other name or term for this type of cheese," Hans Arne Kristiansen, a spokesman for the Danish Dairy Board, told the BBC. Denmark is Europe's second largest producer of feta after Greece - producing about 30,000 tonnes a year - and exports its products to Greece. It is concerned that the ruling could threaten the production of other cheeses in Denmark such as brie. "It would cost millions if we wanted to introduce a new designation," Mr Kristiansen said. "That is just one of the costs."
The case will also have a major impact on Britain's sole feta producer, Yorkshire company Shepherds Purse Cheeses.
Judy Bell, the company's founder, said it would cost a huge amount to rebrand its product. "If we lose we will have to go through a massive re-merchandising process and reorganisation," she said. "We have never tried to pull the wool over anyone's eyes - it's very clear from the label that it's Yorkshire feta." The original decision was a victory for Greece, where feta cheese is believed to have been produced for about 6,000 years. Feta is a soft white cheese made from sheep or goat's milk, and is an essential ingredient in Greek cuisine. Greece makes 115,000 tonnes, mainly for domestic consumption. The Court is expected to reach a verdict in the case in the autumn.
| The Commission's controversial 2002 ruling gave "protected designation of origin" status to feta cheese made in Greece, effectively restricting the use of the feta name to producers there.A row over whether only Greece should be allowed to label its cheese feta has reached the European Court of Justice.The original decision was a victory for Greece, where feta cheese is believed to have been produced for about 6,000 years.But critics of the judgement say feta is a generic term, with the cheese produced widely outside Greece.Denmark is Europe's second largest producer of feta after Greece - producing about 30,000 tonnes a year - and exports its products to Greece.The Danish and German governments are challenging a European Commission ruling which said Greece should have sole rights to use the name.The German and Danish governments argue that feta does not relate to a specific geographical area and that their firms have been producing and exporting the cheese for years.Feta is a soft white cheese made from sheep or goat's milk, and is an essential ingredient in Greek cuisine. |
640 | Charity single for quake relief
Singers including Sir Cliff Richard and Boy George are recording a charity single to help raise funds for victims of the Asian tsunami.
They hope the song will raise more than £2m for the relief fund. The song, titled Grief Never Grows Old and described as a melancholy ballad, was written by radio DJ Mike Read. Former Boyzone singer Ronan Keating may also take part if a studio can be found close to where he is holidaying in Switzerland. Other music stars being approached include Robin and Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees, jazz sensation Jamie Cullum, Chris Rea and Olivia Newton-John.
Sir Cliff has recorded his vocal part in Barbados, while Boy George has recorded his in New York. Read wrote the song before the Boxing Day tragedy but had thought it was too gloomy to release. Now he plans to have it recorded by a collection of pop stars under the name One World Project. "It's a natural home for it because people kept saying to me, 'it's such a good song', but it's such a sad song," Read said.
He said the song was a slow ballad and would work with around 10 singers, rather than a "sing-along" like the Band Aid 20 single raising money for famine relief in Africa. The backing track has already been recorded and organisers hope it can be finished within the next week to get it into record shops as soon as possible. Read went to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which is co-ordinating the British relief effort, with the idea the day after Boxing Day. "I was totally shocked at the enormity and suddenness of the disaster and in tears on seeing the orphaned children wandering aimlessly in search of their parents," he said. Read said all the funds raised by the record would go to the DEC. "I'd only be pleased in terms of what it meant for sales if it got to number one," he added. The charity welcomed the news of the single and said money raised would help its agencies working in the affected region to rebuild survivors' lives and livelihoods.
| He said the song was a slow ballad and would work with around 10 singers, rather than a "sing-along" like the Band Aid 20 single raising money for famine relief in Africa.They hope the song will raise more than £2m for the relief fund.Read wrote the song before the Boxing Day tragedy but had thought it was too gloomy to release."It's a natural home for it because people kept saying to me, 'it's such a good song', but it's such a sad song," Read said.Read said all the funds raised by the record would go to the DEC. "I'd only be pleased in terms of what it meant for sales if it got to number one," he added.Sir Cliff has recorded his vocal part in Barbados, while Boy George has recorded his in New York. |
1,334 | Chepkemei hit by big ban
Kenya's athletics body has suspended two-time London Marathon runner-up Susan Chepkemei from all competition until the end of the year.
Athletics Kenya (AK) issued the ban after Chepkemei failed to turn up for a cross country training camp in Embu. "We have banned her from all local and international competitions," said AK chief Isaiah Kiplagat. "We shall communicate this decision to the IAAF and all meet directors all over the world." The 29-year-old finished second to Paula Radcliffe in the 2002 and 2003 London races, and was also edged out in an epic New York Marathon contest last year.
But the ban will prevent the two-time world half-marathon silver medallist from challenging Radcliffe at this year's London event in April. Global Sports Communications, Chepkemei's management company, said she had wanted to run in the World Cross Country Championships in March. But AK maintained it was making an example of Chepkemei as a warning to other Kenyan athletes. "We are taking this action in order to salvage our pride," said Kiplagat. "We have been accused of having no teeth to bite with and that agents are ruling over us." KA has also threatened three-time women's short-course champion Edith Masai with a similar ban if reports that she feigned injury to avoid running at the cross country world championships are true. Masai missed the national trials in early February, but was included in the provisional team on the proviso that she ran in a regional competition. She failed to run in the event, citing a leg injury.
| Athletics Kenya (AK) issued the ban after Chepkemei failed to turn up for a cross country training camp in Embu.Global Sports Communications, Chepkemei's management company, said she had wanted to run in the World Cross Country Championships in March.KA has also threatened three-time women's short-course champion Edith Masai with a similar ban if reports that she feigned injury to avoid running at the cross country world championships are true.But the ban will prevent the two-time world half-marathon silver medallist from challenging Radcliffe at this year's London event in April.Kenya's athletics body has suspended two-time London Marathon runner-up Susan Chepkemei from all competition until the end of the year."We have banned her from all local and international competitions," said AK chief Isaiah Kiplagat. |
2,012 | Call for action on internet scam
Phone companies are not doing enough to warn customers about internet "rogue-dialling" scams, according to premium phone line regulator Icstis.
It has received 45,000 complaints in recent months about dial-up internet connections diverting to premium rate numbers without users' knowledge. Phone companies refuse to pay compensation because they say calls must be paid for. They must warn people earlier about possible fraud, Icstis said.
People who use dial-up connections can be affected by the scams. Without realising, a program can be downloaded which diverts internet calls via a premium phone line. Victims often fail to notice until they receive an unusually high bill. Icstis spokesman Rob Dwight said: "Phone companies should get in touch with their customers sooner. "If my bill goes over the usual £50 a month I want to know about it straight away - I don't want to be told when it's hit £750."
Phone companies had the systems in place to spot fraudulent activity and artificially-inflated traffic, he said. "We alert them to the numbers that we have under investigation and they should be looking out for these numbers," he added.
Telecoms ombudsman Elizabeth France said: "Certainly I would not be surprised to find my credit card company phoning me if I do something out of the ordinary. "So I would expect phone companies to be looking to see if they can have a similar approach." The biggest phone company BT says it is doing what it can to monitor fraud and warn people about rogue dialling. Its advice to customers is to use call barring if they want to prevent calls to premium lines because, under the current system, once the call has been made there's little that can be done.
Gavin Patterson, group managing director for BT Consumer, said "We do look at customer's calling patterns and we do make interventions when they are out of the ordinary. "We're looking at the moment at whether we can improve this." But as BT handled 180 million calls a day monitoring was "quite a task in itself", he added. The government has ordered a review of premium line services and is likely to say Icstis should have more power to deal with rogue diallers in future. At the moment, it cannot demand pay-outs on the behalf of customer - it can only close illegal services down.
I use free anti-virus software (AVG) and free firewall protection (ZoneAlarm). Both of these tools have prevented unauthorised access and outgoing calls inadvertently and innocently caused by my daughter's love of music sites. How about ISPs informing all customers of such facilities? The responsibility clearly falls with the customer but many fall prey through simply not knowing how to avoid these issues.
Ignorance is and always has been an expensive business.
Does any one know what happens once this fraud has been committed and recognised? The phone companies pay the people who obtaining money fraudulently, so are these people followed up and prosecuted ?
These diallers are mainly downloaded from sites offering illegal MP3s, porn and pirated software. If people didn't visit such sites they'd be considerably less at risk. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? It seems everyone has to be a 'victim' these days!
Part of the blame has to rest with the manufacturers of home computer operating systems. A secure system should not allow a web page or email to download and install anything without the user's knowledge.
These scams are illegal and telephone companies should have nothing to do with them. They should refuse to pay money over to the perpetrators. Or are they themselves receiving such good returns that it is in their interest to keep the scam going?
Why don't BT et al block all premium numbers by default and only turn it off at the customer's request? To anyone who falls foul of this scam - refuse to pay your telephone provider for these calls. After you notify your telephone provider of these fraudulent transactions, they cannot insist on you paying the bill. To do so would be to knowingly assist the fraudsters to commit the fraud. No customers have yet been taken to court for refusing to pay these bills.
Disable or remove your modem and use broadband instead - then you have nothing to worry about. Or buy some decent firewall software and anti-virus. You would not walk out in the freezing cold without a coat - you would not drive your car without any insurance - so why not protect your PC? Stop blaming the phone companies - it's not their fault!
I was very impressed with our phone company recently. I had kept ringing a hotline number for Kylie tickets and next day they rang back to ask if I was aware there were 40-odd calls to the same number. Great service. And I got the tickets as well!
I have a colleague who has fallen victim to this kind of scam. He informed the phone company about it, they subsequently put a block on premium rate numbers. Three months later another huge bill of over £1,000 came in - the block apparently didn't work and he still has to pay for it, even though a block was in place. Phone companies are probably quite happy for their customers to be hit with a huge bill, otherwise they'd be taking extra steps to prevent this kind of problem.
I have been scammed of £139. The operator will do nothing about this and, to add insult to injury, I was charged VAT by the government.
Premium rate numbers have been subject to various scams ever since they were invented. One example was where thieves would set up a premium rate number and then dial it day and night from phones whose quarterly bills were never paid. The telephone company was the victim here and you can bet that loophole was blocked very quickly.
I know people who have run up large bills, despite being IT-literate. From talking to BT in Belfast, I believe that they will shortly be giving out a free application that can stop you dialling expensive numbers without knowing. It's not the fault of phone companies, and at last they are doing something about it.
It's about time that the profiteering by the 'legitimate' phone companies came to an end, mainly by doing away with dial-up altogether and bring broadband down to the same price as dial-up! Not only will this ruin things for the dialler scammers but also allow people to update and upgrade their security more easily and quickly.
I haven't "fallen victim to a rogue-dialling scam" but I think you're seriously remiss in not pointing out that the vast majority of these scams arise from people trying to access services purporting to provide free pornography. In most cases the user is entirely at fault, which is probably why the telephone companies are rightly unwilling to refund them.
My telephone supplier did not inform me that my monthly bill had risen from its normal £3 to £5, to £320. This was because of the scam. They simply billed me. What particularly galls me, over and above having over £300 stolen, is that the supplier and the government (through VAT) are profiting from this crime and will not reimburse me their portion of my losses.
How about an automatic monthly cap of say £20 on premium rate calls that you would have to contact your provider to have lifted? That way you could use legitimate premium rate numbers while limiting fraudulent usage. At least any disputed amount would be limited, far easier for a telecoms operator to write off £20 than it is £750.
A few years back I was also the target of such scams but thank God I have already upgraded to broadband and nothing was connected to my modem so all I heard was the sound of an attempted connection.
How about home users take some responsibility and ensure their anti-virus and firewall software is up to date? That should prevent the vast majority of these scams.
| Phone companies are not doing enough to warn customers about internet "rogue-dialling" scams, according to premium phone line regulator Icstis.I was very impressed with our phone company recently.Phone companies refuse to pay compensation because they say calls must be paid for.The biggest phone company BT says it is doing what it can to monitor fraud and warn people about rogue dialling.These scams are illegal and telephone companies should have nothing to do with them.One example was where thieves would set up a premium rate number and then dial it day and night from phones whose quarterly bills were never paid.The phone companies pay the people who obtaining money fraudulently, so are these people followed up and prosecuted ?He informed the phone company about it, they subsequently put a block on premium rate numbers."So I would expect phone companies to be looking to see if they can have a similar approach."Stop blaming the phone companies - it's not their fault!The telephone company was the victim here and you can bet that loophole was blocked very quickly.Icstis spokesman Rob Dwight said: "Phone companies should get in touch with their customers sooner.Phone companies are probably quite happy for their customers to be hit with a huge bill, otherwise they'd be taking extra steps to prevent this kind of problem.This was because of the scam.Its advice to customers is to use call barring if they want to prevent calls to premium lines because, under the current system, once the call has been made there's little that can be done.It has received 45,000 complaints in recent months about dial-up internet connections diverting to premium rate numbers without users' knowledge.Without realising, a program can be downloaded which diverts internet calls via a premium phone line.Phone companies had the systems in place to spot fraudulent activity and artificially-inflated traffic, he said.How about an automatic monthly cap of say £20 on premium rate calls that you would have to contact your provider to have lifted?Premium rate numbers have been subject to various scams ever since they were invented.A few years back I was also the target of such scams but thank God I have already upgraded to broadband and nothing was connected to my modem so all I heard was the sound of an attempted connection.I haven't "fallen victim to a rogue-dialling scam" but I think you're seriously remiss in not pointing out that the vast majority of these scams arise from people trying to access services purporting to provide free pornography.The government has ordered a review of premium line services and is likely to say Icstis should have more power to deal with rogue diallers in future.I had kept ringing a hotline number for Kylie tickets and next day they rang back to ask if I was aware there were 40-odd calls to the same number.To anyone who falls foul of this scam - refuse to pay your telephone provider for these calls.I have a colleague who has fallen victim to this kind of scam.Three months later another huge bill of over £1,000 came in - the block apparently didn't work and he still has to pay for it, even though a block was in place.It's about time that the profiteering by the 'legitimate' phone companies came to an end, mainly by doing away with dial-up altogether and bring broadband down to the same price as dial-up!That way you could use legitimate premium rate numbers while limiting fraudulent usage.People who use dial-up connections can be affected by the scams. |
832 | Pixies take on Reading and Leeds
Pixies, Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden will headline this summer's Leeds and Reading festivals.
The trio of rock heavyweights will top the bill for the three-day events at Bramham Park, near Wetherby, and at Richfield Avenue, Reading. They are the Pixies' and Iron Maiden's only UK festival gigs, while Foo Fighters are also at T In The Park. The Killers, Razorlight and Queens of the Stone Age are also playing the twin festivals, to be held on 26-28 August. Other acts in this year's line-up include The Charlatans, Marilyn Manson and Kings of Leon. Pete Doherty's band Babyshamblers will appear on the NME/Radio One stage along with Kasabian, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Bloc Party.
Organiser Mean Fiddler said more acts were still to be confirmed for the summer event. "We are all very excited to be going back to Reading and intend to have a fantastic time," said Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. "We're sure fans will too." It will the first time the veteran British metal band have played Reading in 23 years. At Leeds, Iron Maiden will headline the first day of the festival on the Friday, Pixies will follow on Saturday and the Foo Fighters will close the event on Sunday. The Pixies will headline the first day of Reading, while Foo Fighters will play on Sunday and Iron Maiden will close the event. Weekend tickets are now on sale priced at £125 each.
| The Pixies will headline the first day of Reading, while Foo Fighters will play on Sunday and Iron Maiden will close the event.Pixies, Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden will headline this summer's Leeds and Reading festivals.At Leeds, Iron Maiden will headline the first day of the festival on the Friday, Pixies will follow on Saturday and the Foo Fighters will close the event on Sunday.They are the Pixies' and Iron Maiden's only UK festival gigs, while Foo Fighters are also at T In The Park.It will the first time the veteran British metal band have played Reading in 23 years."We are all very excited to be going back to Reading and intend to have a fantastic time," said Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. |
886 | France set for new Da Vinci novel
French booksellers are braced for a rush of interest after another book from the author of The Da Vinci Code is translated into French.
Angels and Demons, by US author Dan Brown, will go on sale on Wednesday. The Da Vinci Code is set in Paris - including the Louvre - and has sold around one million copies in France. The main character, Robert Langdon, also appears in Angels and Demons. The Da Vinci Code is being made into a film starring Tom Hanks. Angels and Demons was written before The Da Vinci Code, which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and been translated into more than 40 languages, since it was released in 2003. Angels and Demons is set mainly in Rome as symbologist Robert Langdon follows a 400-year-old trail to try to uncover a plot by an ancient brotherhood, The Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican.
The novel deals with moral issues such as the debate between science and religion and also seeks to uncover some of the mysteries surrounding the Pope. On his website, Brown wrote: "I think the reason Angels and Demons is raising eyebrows right now is that it opens some Vatican closets most people don't even know exist. "But I think most people understand that an organisation as old and powerful as the Vatican could not possibly have risen to power without acquiring a few skeletons in their closets." Such is the success of The Da Vinci Code in France, special tours have been organised to trace Langdon's footsteps, including the the Louvre museum and the Saint Sulpice Church. The Louvre has also given permission for parts of the film version to be shot in the museum. The film, to be directed by A Beautiful Mind's Ron Howard, is due to start filming at the Paris museum in May and stars Hanks alongside French actress Audrey Tautou.
| Angels and Demons was written before The Da Vinci Code, which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and been translated into more than 40 languages, since it was released in 2003.The Da Vinci Code is set in Paris - including the Louvre - and has sold around one million copies in France.The Da Vinci Code is being made into a film starring Tom Hanks.The main character, Robert Langdon, also appears in Angels and Demons.Such is the success of The Da Vinci Code in France, special tours have been organised to trace Langdon's footsteps, including the the Louvre museum and the Saint Sulpice Church.Angels and Demons is set mainly in Rome as symbologist Robert Langdon follows a 400-year-old trail to try to uncover a plot by an ancient brotherhood, The Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican. |
1,380 | Lewis-Francis eyeing world gold
Mark Lewis-Francis says his Olympic success has made him determined to bag World Championship 100m gold in 2005.
The 22-year-old pipped Maurice Greene on the last leg of the 4x100m relay in Athens to take top honours for Team GB. But individually, the Birchfield Harrier has yet to build on his World Junior Championship win four years ago. "The gold medal in Athens has made me realise that I can get to the top level and I want to get there again. It can happen, I don't see why not," he said. Lewis-Francis has still to decided what events will feature in his build-up to the worlds - with one exception. He has confirmed his participation in the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham on 18 February, where he will take on another member of Britain's victorious men's relay team - Jason Gardener - over 60m. He added: "It's a bit too early to make any predictions for Helsinki, but I have my eyes open and I know I can be the best in the world."
| Mark Lewis-Francis says his Olympic success has made him determined to bag World Championship 100m gold in 2005.Lewis-Francis has still to decided what events will feature in his build-up to the worlds - with one exception.But individually, the Birchfield Harrier has yet to build on his World Junior Championship win four years ago."The gold medal in Athens has made me realise that I can get to the top level and I want to get there again. |
366 | WMC says Xstrata bid is too low
Australian mining firm WMC Resources has said it is worth up to 30% more than a hostile 7.4bn Australian dollar ($5.8bn; £3bn) bid by rival Xstrata.
There is now pressure on Swiss-based Xstrata to increase its takeover offer. A report from investment firm Grant Samuel in WMC defence documents values WMC shares at A$7.17 to A$8.24, against Xstrata's bid of A$6.35 a share. Analysts said the defence documents provided more details on WMC, and may trigger a possible rival bid. "If a bid is going to emerge it is probably likely in the next one to two weeks," said Daiwa Securities analyst Mark Pervan. He said the valuation would put increased pressure on Xstrata to look at "sweetening" its offer. Marc Gonsalves, an executive at Xstrata, said: "We will review the information contained in the target's statement over the next week or so." He added: "While we will review the assumptions made by Grant Samuel in detail, we are extremely sceptical of their conclusion, and suggest that WMC shareholders take extreme care in presuming that these optimistic assumptions are capable of being realised."
Last month Australia's competition watchdog said it would not oppose the purchase of WMC by Zurich and London-based Xstrata. On Tuesday, WMC chairman Tommie Bergman said in a statement the directors believed it was in shareholders' best interest to reject the offer. He said WMC would pursue "value-creating options" provided by a portfolio of "world class assets". And WMC chief executive Andrew Michelmore claimed the Xstrata offer was aimed at creating value for Xstrata's shareholders, and was not being made for the benefit of WMC's shareholders. Grant Samuel said its valuation of WMC was based on lower average prices for nickel, copper and uranium than current market levels. "Any longer term commodity price improvements would only improve our outlook," Mr Michelmore said.
In 2003 Xstrata acquired Australia's largest copper miner - MIM Holdings. WMC Resources is the world's third-largest producer of concentrated nickel, and also a miner of copper and uranium. It owns the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, which contains about one-third of the world's known uranium resources and is also the world's fourth largest copper mine. Xstrata is a global mining giant with operations in Australia, South Africa, Spain, Germany, Argentina and the UK. Its core products are copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, vanadium and zinc. It also has growing businesses in gold, lead and silver.
| Grant Samuel said its valuation of WMC was based on lower average prices for nickel, copper and uranium than current market levels.Last month Australia's competition watchdog said it would not oppose the purchase of WMC by Zurich and London-based Xstrata.He said the valuation would put increased pressure on Xstrata to look at "sweetening" its offer.WMC Resources is the world's third-largest producer of concentrated nickel, and also a miner of copper and uranium.Australian mining firm WMC Resources has said it is worth up to 30% more than a hostile 7.4bn Australian dollar ($5.8bn; £3bn) bid by rival Xstrata.Analysts said the defence documents provided more details on WMC, and may trigger a possible rival bid.On Tuesday, WMC chairman Tommie Bergman said in a statement the directors believed it was in shareholders' best interest to reject the offer.He said WMC would pursue "value-creating options" provided by a portfolio of "world class assets". |
1,506 | Real in talks over Gravesen move
Real Madrid are closing in on a £2m deal for Everton's Thomas Gravesen after the Dane's agent travelled to Spain to hold talks about a move.
John Sivabaek told BBC Sport: "I'm here to listen to what Real have to say. Nothing has been agreed, but this is a big opportunity for any player." The 28-year-old's contract expires in the summer, but Real want a quick deal. Sivabaek added: "I will be meeting Real on Wednesday. There is serious interest, but it is Everton's hands." Everton must decide whether to cash in now on the Denmark midfield man, or risk losing him for nothing in the summer. Manager David Moyes has defiantly claimed that he expects Gravesen to still be at Everton when the transfer window closes at the end of January.
Moyes said: "I speak to Tommy regularly and we know where we are at. "There's been no contact. We don't want to lose him." Real Madrid general manager Arrigo Sacchi is the driving force behind the move, convincing vice-president Emilio Butragueno and new coach Wanderley Luxemburgo that Gravesen is the right man for the Bernabeu. Everton must weigh up whether it is worth taking the money on offer for Real and risk their own ambitions for European football. Gravesen has been outstanding as Everton have established themselves in the Premiership's top four this season.
| Real Madrid are closing in on a £2m deal for Everton's Thomas Gravesen after the Dane's agent travelled to Spain to hold talks about a move.The 28-year-old's contract expires in the summer, but Real want a quick deal.Everton must weigh up whether it is worth taking the money on offer for Real and risk their own ambitions for European football.Manager David Moyes has defiantly claimed that he expects Gravesen to still be at Everton when the transfer window closes at the end of January.Everton must decide whether to cash in now on the Denmark midfield man, or risk losing him for nothing in the summer.Sivabaek added: "I will be meeting Real on Wednesday. |
387 | Germany nears 1990 jobless level
German unemployment rose for the 11th consecutive month in December - making the year's average jobless total the highest since reunification.
The seasonally adjusted jobless total rose a higher than expected 17,000 to 4.483 million, the Bundesbank said. Allowing for changes in calculating statistics, the average number of people out of work was the highest since 1990 - or a rate of 10.8%. Bad weather and a sluggish economy were blamed for the rise. The increase "was due primarily to the onstart of winter", labour office chief Frank-Juergen Weise said.
Unadjusted, the figures showed unemployment rose 206,900 to 4.64 million - with many sectors such as construction laying off workers amid bad weather. "The three years of stagnation in the German economy came to an end in 2004. But the upturn is still not strong enough" to boost the labour market, Mr Weise added. News of the rise came as government welfare reforms came into force, a move that is expected to see unemployment swell still further in coming months. Under the Hartz IV changes, the previous two tier system of benefits and support for the long term unemployed has been replaced with one flat-rate payout. In turn, that means more people will be classified as looking for work, driving official figures higher.
"Be prepared for a nasty figure for January 2005, about five million unemployed on a non-seasonally adjusted basis," warned HVB Group economist Andreas Rees. But he did add that the numbers should "subside" throughout the year, to remain near 2004's level of 4.4 million jobless. "I don't expect a strong and lasting turnaround until 2006," German Economy minister Wolfgang Clement said. By 2010, however, the Hartz IV reforms should help cut the average jobless rate to between 3% and 5%, he added. Europe's biggest economy has been too weak to create work as it struggles to shake off three years of economic stagnation. In recent months companies such as Adam Opel - the German arm of US carmaker General Motors - and retailer KarstadtQuelle have slashed jobs.
| "The three years of stagnation in the German economy came to an end in 2004.The seasonally adjusted jobless total rose a higher than expected 17,000 to 4.483 million, the Bundesbank said.German unemployment rose for the 11th consecutive month in December - making the year's average jobless total the highest since reunification.Europe's biggest economy has been too weak to create work as it struggles to shake off three years of economic stagnation.By 2010, however, the Hartz IV reforms should help cut the average jobless rate to between 3% and 5%, he added."I don't expect a strong and lasting turnaround until 2006," German Economy minister Wolfgang Clement said.Unadjusted, the figures showed unemployment rose 206,900 to 4.64 million - with many sectors such as construction laying off workers amid bad weather. |
1,438 | Premier League planning Cole date
The Premier League is attempting to find a mutually convenient date to investigate allegations Chelsea made an illegal approach for Ashley Cole.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal will be asked to give evidence to a Premier League commission, but no deadline has been put on when that meeting will convene. "It's hard to put a date on it," a Premier League spokesman confirmed to BBC Sport. "It's not a formal situation where they've got so much time to respond." Arsenal and England defender Cole reportedly met Blues boss Jose Mourinho and chief executive Peter Kenyon in a London hotel 11 days ago. Chelsea have yet to officially confirm or deny the meeting, which would be in breach of Premier League rule K3.
Now the Gunners have asked for an inquiry to look into claims that their player has been "tapped up". Both clubs have pledged to co-operate with the inquiry which will be conducted on a single day as opposed to being run as an ongoing evaluation. Cole is in negotiations with the Gunners over extending his current deal which ends in 2007. And his Arsenal team-mate Robert Pires has urged the England left-back to stay at Highbury. Pires told the Evening Standard: "He has been at Arsenal for ever. He is a very attacking left-back and I think he is enjoying his football because at Arsenal he plays in an offensive team. "I am not sure he will get the same pleasure at Chelsea, even though they are doing so well at the moment. "I have built a fantastic playing relationship with Ashley. "We play together so well - we could do it with our eyes shut. "But you have to respect the decision of the player. Everybody has that right."
| Both Chelsea and Arsenal will be asked to give evidence to a Premier League commission, but no deadline has been put on when that meeting will convene.Now the Gunners have asked for an inquiry to look into claims that their player has been "tapped up".The Premier League is attempting to find a mutually convenient date to investigate allegations Chelsea made an illegal approach for Ashley Cole.And his Arsenal team-mate Robert Pires has urged the England left-back to stay at Highbury.Pires told the Evening Standard: "He has been at Arsenal for ever.Chelsea have yet to officially confirm or deny the meeting, which would be in breach of Premier League rule K3.Everybody has that right." |
1,472 | Mourinho defiant on Chelsea form
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has insisted that Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger would swap places with him.
Mourinho's side were knocked out of the FA Cup by Newcastle last Sunday before seeing Barcelona secure a 2-1 Champions League first-leg lead in the Nou Camp. But he denied his club was suffering a dip in form which league rivals Arsenal and Manchester United could exploit. "They cannot speak to us about blips because they're not in a better position than us," Mourinho said. "Do they want to change positions with us? We are top of the league by nine points and in the Carling Cup final. "The only thing they can say they are in a better position than us in is the FA Cup. "In the Champions League all three teams can either go through or go out but the one team that is in the best position is still Chelsea."
Mourinho said it was important to keep his team's results in perspective. "Don't try to put pressure on me because I am never under pressure," he warned. "We have lost one important game this week - at Newcastle - and we're out of the FA Cup but I don't think a defeat in a first-leg tie is a real defeat. We are just 2-1 down at half-time." Asked if his Chelsea honeymoon was now over, Mourinho replied: "I have had 20 years of honeymoons with my wife. "The day that this club is not happy with me is the day that I go."
| "The only thing they can say they are in a better position than us in is the FA Cup."They cannot speak to us about blips because they're not in a better position than us," Mourinho said."In the Champions League all three teams can either go through or go out but the one team that is in the best position is still Chelsea.""We have lost one important game this week - at Newcastle - and we're out of the FA Cup but I don't think a defeat in a first-leg tie is a real defeat.Mourinho's side were knocked out of the FA Cup by Newcastle last Sunday before seeing Barcelona secure a 2-1 Champions League first-leg lead in the Nou Camp.Mourinho said it was important to keep his team's results in perspective. |
981 | UK's 'useless' quangos under fire
The UK has 529 quangos financed with billions of pounds of taxpayers' cash - many of which are useless or duplicate each other's efforts, a report claims.
Essential Guide to British Quangos 2005 author Dan Lewis said at least 111 of the appointed bodies had been set up since Labour won power in 1997. He urged a limit on the number of quangos that could be set up by any individual government department. Tories and Lib Dems welcomed the report and called for a "slimming down".
Conservative deregulation spokesman John Redwood said: "The research endorses our policy of destroying unwanted and unnecessary quangos, and slimming down the rest.
"A Conservative government will axe 162 quangos, as part of its drive for more efficient and more accountable government." Lib Dem spokesman Ed Davey meanwhile said instead of the "bonfire of quangos" New Labour had promised, there had been an "explosion" of them. "For over two decades, under both Tory and Labour governments, these unaccountable agencies have mushroomed. "Liberal Democrats would abolish many, merge others, and make any that remain properly accountable." Labour representatives were unavailable for comment. The quango guide follows last year's government-commissioned Gershon Report which recommended significant cuts in bureaucracy across the public sector.
Mr Lewis wants a public inquiry into regional development agencies which cost £1.8bn a year - cash he says which "appears to be almost entirely wasted". As well as a departmental limit on quangos he also wants a statutory five-year limit on any such body with executive powers. He also listed what he dubbed the nine "most useless quangos". They were the British Potato Council, the Milk Development Council, the Energy Savings Trust, Agricultural Wages Committees, the Wine Standards Board, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Football Licensing Authority, Investors in People UK and the Economic and Social Research Council. Mr Lewis branded the existence of the 60-employee Potato Council, set up in 1997 to research and promote overseas potato markets, "surprising". He said the £80m spent annually on the Energy Savings Trust, which promotes renewable energy, would be better spent on eight million boiler jackets for British homes.
And he argued it was "absurd" to charge farmers for Agricultural Wages Committees, which set working and wage standards in the industry, when many were prepared to take advantage of immigrant labour prepared to work for £1 an hour. "If a football team can afford to pay £27m for Wayne Rooney, why should the taxpayer - not all of whom like football - be forced to fund the Football Licensing Authority to the tune of over £1.1m a year?" Mr Lewis asked. The report is published by the Efficiency in Government Unit - a joint effort by right of centre think tanks the Economic Research Council and the Centre for Policy Studies. It says before a new public body is set up, an assessment should be made whether its proposed role is already carried out by an existing charity or other private organisation.
| Essential Guide to British Quangos 2005 author Dan Lewis said at least 111 of the appointed bodies had been set up since Labour won power in 1997.They were the British Potato Council, the Milk Development Council, the Energy Savings Trust, Agricultural Wages Committees, the Wine Standards Board, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Football Licensing Authority, Investors in People UK and the Economic and Social Research Council.Mr Lewis branded the existence of the 60-employee Potato Council, set up in 1997 to research and promote overseas potato markets, "surprising".Lib Dem spokesman Ed Davey meanwhile said instead of the "bonfire of quangos" New Labour had promised, there had been an "explosion" of them.He urged a limit on the number of quangos that could be set up by any individual government department.Conservative deregulation spokesman John Redwood said: "The research endorses our policy of destroying unwanted and unnecessary quangos, and slimming down the rest.Mr Lewis wants a public inquiry into regional development agencies which cost £1.8bn a year - cash he says which "appears to be almost entirely wasted".The UK has 529 quangos financed with billions of pounds of taxpayers' cash - many of which are useless or duplicate each other's efforts, a report claims."A Conservative government will axe 162 quangos, as part of its drive for more efficient and more accountable government." |
100 | Ebbers denies WorldCom fraud
Former WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers has denied claims that he knew accountants were doctoring the books at the firm.
Speaking in court, Mr Ebbers rejected allegations he pressured ex-chief financial officer Scott Sullivan to falsify company financial statements. Mr Sullivan "made accounting decisions," he told the federal court, saying his finance chief had "a keen command of the numbers". Mr Ebbers has denied charges of fraud and conspiracy. During his second day of questioning in the New York trial Mr Ebbers played down his working relationship with Mr Sullivan and denied he frequently met him to discuss company business when questioned by the prosecution.
"In a lot of weeks, we would speak ... three or four times," Mr Ebbers said, adding that conversations about finances were rarely one-on-one and were usually discussed by a "group of people" instead.
Mr Ebbers relationship to Mr Sullivan is key to the case surrounding financial corruption that led to the collapse of the firm in 2002 following the discovery of an $11bn accounting fraud. The prosecution's star witness is Mr Sullivan, one of six WorldCom executives indicted in the case, He has pleaded guilty to fraud and appeared as a prosecution witness as part of an agreement with prosecutors. During his time on the witness stand Mr Sullivan repeatedly told jurors he met frequently with Mr Ebbers, told him about changes made to WorldCom's accounts to hide costs and had warned him such practises were improper. However during the case on Tuesday Mr Ebbers denied the allegations. "I wasn't advised by Scott Sullivan of anything ever being wrong," he told the court. "He's never told me he made an entry that wasn't right. If he had, we wouldn't be here today." Mr Ebbers could face a jail sentence of up to 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. Shareholders lost about $180bn in WorldCom's collapse, 20,000 workers lost their jobs and the company went bankrupt. The company emerged from bankruptcy last year and is now known as MCI.
| Mr Ebbers relationship to Mr Sullivan is key to the case surrounding financial corruption that led to the collapse of the firm in 2002 following the discovery of an $11bn accounting fraud.During his time on the witness stand Mr Sullivan repeatedly told jurors he met frequently with Mr Ebbers, told him about changes made to WorldCom's accounts to hide costs and had warned him such practises were improper.Mr Ebbers has denied charges of fraud and conspiracy.During his second day of questioning in the New York trial Mr Ebbers played down his working relationship with Mr Sullivan and denied he frequently met him to discuss company business when questioned by the prosecution.However during the case on Tuesday Mr Ebbers denied the allegations.Speaking in court, Mr Ebbers rejected allegations he pressured ex-chief financial officer Scott Sullivan to falsify company financial statements.Mr Sullivan "made accounting decisions," he told the federal court, saying his finance chief had "a keen command of the numbers". |
114 | WorldCom director admits lying
The former chief financial officer at US telecoms firm WorldCom has admitted before a New York court that he used to lie to fellow board members.
Speaking at the trial of his former boss Bernard Ebbers, Scott Sullivan said he lied to the board to cover up the hole in WorldCom's finances. Mr Ebbers is on trial for fraud and conspiracy in relation to WorldCom's collapse in 2002. He pleads not guilty. The firm had been overstating its accounts by $11bn (£8.5bn). Mr Sullivan, 42, has already pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced following Mr Ebbers' trial, where he is appearing as a prosecution witness. Mr Ebbers, 63, has always insisted that he was unaware of any hidden shortfalls in WorldCom's finances.
In the New York court on Wednesday, Mr Ebbers' lawyer Reid Weingarten asked Mr Sullivan: "If you believe something is in your interest, you are willing and able to lie to accomplish it, isn't that right?"
"On that date, yes. I was lying," replied Mr Sullivan. Mr Weingarten has suggested that Mr Sullivan is implicating Mr Ebbers only to win a lighter sentence, something Mr Sullivan denies. Mr Sullivan also rejects a suggestion that he had once told fellow WorldCom board member Bert Roberts that Mr Ebbers was unaware of the accounting fraud at WorldCom. The trial of Mr Ebbers is now into its third week.
Under 23 hours of questioning from a federal prosecutor, Mr Sullivan has previously told the court that he repeatedly warned Mr Ebbers that falsifying the books would be the only way to meet Wall Street revenue and earnings expectations. Mr Sullivan claims that Mr Ebbers refused to stop the fraud. Mr Ebbers could face a sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. WorldCom's problems appear to have begun with the collapse of the dotcom boom which cut its business from internet companies. Prosecutors allege that the company's top executives responded by orchestrating massive fraud over a two-year period. WorldCom emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004, and is now known as MCI.
| Mr Sullivan, 42, has already pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced following Mr Ebbers' trial, where he is appearing as a prosecution witness.Mr Sullivan claims that Mr Ebbers refused to stop the fraud.Mr Weingarten has suggested that Mr Sullivan is implicating Mr Ebbers only to win a lighter sentence, something Mr Sullivan denies.Mr Sullivan also rejects a suggestion that he had once told fellow WorldCom board member Bert Roberts that Mr Ebbers was unaware of the accounting fraud at WorldCom.Mr Ebbers is on trial for fraud and conspiracy in relation to WorldCom's collapse in 2002.The trial of Mr Ebbers is now into its third week.In the New York court on Wednesday, Mr Ebbers' lawyer Reid Weingarten asked Mr Sullivan: "If you believe something is in your interest, you are willing and able to lie to accomplish it, isn't that right?"Mr Ebbers, 63, has always insisted that he was unaware of any hidden shortfalls in WorldCom's finances. |
207 | EMI shares hit by profit warning
Shares in music giant EMI have sunk by more than 16% after the firm issued a profit warning following disappointing sales and delays to two album releases.
EMI said music sales for the year to March will fall 8-9% from the year before, with profits set to be 15% lower than analysts had expected. It blamed poor sales since Christmas and delays to the releases of new albums by Coldplay and Gorillaz. By 1200 GMT on Monday, EMI shares were down 16.2% at 235.75 pence.
EMI said two major albums scheduled for release before the end of the financial year in March - one by Coldplay and one by Gorillaz - have now had their release dates put back.
"EMI Music's sales, particularly re-orders, in January have also been lower than anticipated and this is expected to continue through February and March," the company added. "Therefore, for the full year, at constant currency, EMI Music's sales are now expected to be 8% to 9% lower than the prior year." The company said it expected profits to be about £138m ($259.8m). Alain Levy, chairman and chief executive of EMI Music, described the performance as "disappointing", but added that he remained optimistic over future trends in the industry. "The physical music market is showing signs of stabilisation in many parts of the world and digital music, in all its forms, continues to develop at a rapid pace," he said.
Commenting on the delay to the release of the Coldplay and Gorillaz albums, Mr Levy said that "creating and marketing music is not an exact science and cannot always coincide with our reporting periods". "While this rescheduling and recent softness is disappointing, it does not change my views of the improving health of the global recorded music industry," he added. Paul Richards, an analyst at Numis Securities, said the market would be focusing on the slump in music sales rather than the timing of the two albums. "It's unusual to see this much of a downgrade just because of phasing," he said.
| EMI said music sales for the year to March will fall 8-9% from the year before, with profits set to be 15% lower than analysts had expected.Shares in music giant EMI have sunk by more than 16% after the firm issued a profit warning following disappointing sales and delays to two album releases.EMI said two major albums scheduled for release before the end of the financial year in March - one by Coldplay and one by Gorillaz - have now had their release dates put back."Therefore, for the full year, at constant currency, EMI Music's sales are now expected to be 8% to 9% lower than the prior year."The company said it expected profits to be about £138m ($259.8m).Commenting on the delay to the release of the Coldplay and Gorillaz albums, Mr Levy said that "creating and marketing music is not an exact science and cannot always coincide with our reporting periods". |
1,346 | Greek sprinters suspended by IAAF
Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have been suspended after failing to take drugs tests before the Athens Olympics.
Athletics' ruling body the IAAF said explanations from the pair and their former coach as to why they missed the tests were "unacceptable". It added that Kenteris and Thanou had been "provisionally suspended pending the resolution of their cases". They face two-year bans if found guilty by the Greek Athletics Federation. The suspension also covers the athletes' controversial coach, Christos Tzekos. Kenteris, the 2000 Olympic 200m champion, and Thanou, the women's 100m silver medallist from the same Games in Sydney, also face a criminal hearing in Greece over the missed tests. They failed to appear to give samples in Chicago and Tel Aviv shortly before the Athens Games and again in Athens on 12 August, the eve of the opening ceremony. Greek prosecutors have also charged them with faking a midnight motorcycle crash which led to them spending four days in hospital. Some medical staff have been charged with writing false medical reports. Wednesday's statement said the Greek Federation (SEGAS) would convene a disciplinary hearing for the trio to determine whether there had been doping violations.
"There will be a final right of appeal from the decision of the Greek Federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport," the IAAF said. Tzekos insisted he and the runners had nothing to hide. "The IAAF's decision means nothing," he said. "We'll be presenting all our arguments to SEGAS - we're innocent."
| "There will be a final right of appeal from the decision of the Greek Federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport," the IAAF said.Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have been suspended after failing to take drugs tests before the Athens Olympics.Wednesday's statement said the Greek Federation (SEGAS) would convene a disciplinary hearing for the trio to determine whether there had been doping violations.Kenteris, the 2000 Olympic 200m champion, and Thanou, the women's 100m silver medallist from the same Games in Sydney, also face a criminal hearing in Greece over the missed tests.They face two-year bans if found guilty by the Greek Athletics Federation.Athletics' ruling body the IAAF said explanations from the pair and their former coach as to why they missed the tests were "unacceptable". |
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